《Son of the Kingdom》


 1.Little Beggar

    ¡°Therefore, Baudrillard believes that ¡°things¡± and ¡°needs¡± are false symbols, and he criticizes Marx''s theory of use-value, believing that the latter also falls into the trap of capitalism''s political economy, thus proposing his own symbolic political economy.


    Wu Qiren finished his report, clicked on the last slide, nodded his thanks to the teacher and a dozen or so of his classmates, and left the podium at the teacher''s signal to wait for the next student''s report.


    ¡° Thales!¡±


    The next moment, Wu Qiren, a former graduate student, woke up from his dream.


    He was curled up, lying on his back in a cold, ruined hole in the wall, feeling the chilly wind blowing from the gaps in all directions.


    Wu Qiren sighed, after five years of crossing over, he still had dreams of his previous life, the life before crossing over was certainly boring, but it was better than the miserable situation in front of him.


    ¡°Thales, Thales!¡± A large hand reached out from outside the hole in the wall and grabbed Wu Qiren''s ear, roughly grabbing him out of this small broken nest.


    This was a broken house, and through the half-collapsed roof, one could see the bright stars in the night sky, only the rows and shapes of the rivers of stars were incomparably unfamiliar to Wu Qiren.


    Wu Qiren couldn''t resist the rough hand - what could a seven-year-old do? He was dragged on the rough brick floor, his knees scraped raw, but he gritted his teeth and said nothing, for the brutal Quaid was especially impatient with the cries of children, and it was said that he had once paralyzed the legs of a six-year-old girl who tried to trade tears for food.


    ¡°I asked Rick, and your routine money this week is five coppers less than last week! Did you hide it?¡± The fuming Quaid looked like a ruddy-haired lion, his protruding nose making him more and more vicious.


    Wu Qiren was flung to the ground, and the rest of his gray eyes saw the holes in the wall around him, and the five beggars who shared the room with him, ranging from four to ten years old, were all trembling at the sound of Quaid''s roar.


    Among them, in the innermost hole in the wall, one of the youngest short-haired girls was clenching her left hand, her face reddened, and was looking at Wu Qiren on the ground in fear, and in the hole next to her, Ned, a six year old boy, was even screaming out in fear.


    That was Kolya, and Wu Qiren knew what she was afraid of.


    In fact, Wu Qiren had been lucky this week; he, Beggar Thales - Wu Yuren''s current name - had gotten a full thirty-seven coins this week, eighteen more than last week.


    But he only handed over fourteen coins to Quaid - the head of the Black Street Brotherhood who specialized in the beggar business - and took the rest of the coins, together with his own money that he had saved from two years of hard work, and ran to the Grove Apothecary Shop to ¡°buy¡± the good helper Yanni at cost price. ¡°Purchased¡± a pair of typhoid potion.


    Thales fed the potion to four-year-old Coria - getting typhoid fever at her age was pretty much a death sentence without the potion.


    In the five years since he crossed over, Thales had re-experienced the memory formation period from the age of two to seven, gradually retrieving bits and pieces of memories from his previous life from a clueless toddler, in which the child''s memories appeared fragmented and scattered. Even so, each time he witnessed the death of another person during those two years of ignorance to lucidity, it made a lasting impression on Thales.


    From dying from illness, falling, drowning, hanging, to being beaten to death alive (there was even a time when Thales witnessed a crying beggar child being asphyxiated with his powers from ten meters away), the Black Street Brotherhood, which specialized in the business of human traffickers, had never had any bottom line or principles - even gangsters needed time to settle down with rules and order, and the The Brotherhood, which originated from the black streets, has only been around for the first ten years from its rise to its growth.


    Moreover, even the Brotherhood''s nemesis, the Blood Bottle Gang, which had a history of ninety years and was known as ¡°the aristocracy of the gangs¡±, did not necessarily have fewer blood debts in its hands.


    Most of the time, witnessed the death of Thales can not do anything, even he himself, but also through the wisdom and sophistication of an adult, only to avoid more than one killing.


    Now, for example, a fist-pumping, exuberant Quaid was showing the brutality and viciousness characteristic of a gangster sadist in his eyes.


    ¡°I ain''t got no personal stash! It''s winter this week, and there are a lot fewer people passing through the three lower city districts-¡± Thales got up from the ground, his mind racing as he spat out the made-up excuse.


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    He was greeted with an unmerciful slap that sent Thales stumbling back to the ground.


    ¡°Hand over the stash, then I''ll beat you up! Or I''ll beat you up and then you hand over the money! Take your pick!¡±


    Obviously, Quaid didn''t want to hear his explanation; the frat leader might just want to scrounge up some booze money, or he might simply be looking for a beating.


    ¡°But you can also be tough - tough kids are my favorite.¡± Quaid smiled sarcastically and moved his fists.


    Looking at the fist as big as a sandbag in front of him, Thales knew that even if he said nothing, Quaid wouldn''t let himself go.


    And it was only last month that Quaid had abused a fifth house beggar alive.


    Thales covered his red, swollen cheek and thought quickly.


    On weekdays, Quaid did not care about the accounts, once the night went to the underground street Sunset Bar to hang out or hold a bottle of wine hanging around him, it is also difficult to distinguish a Mindis silver coins can be exchanged for how many Middel copper coins, not to mention how many of the beggars under his hands to pay the example of the money - that is his deputy, seemingly down-to-earth and steady Riker is responsible for, and even a shrewd And even a shrewd man like Rick knew that a fluctuation of seven or eight copper coins per week per beggar was simply too normal.


    Someone had snitched.


    That was the only conclusion.


    Thales glanced around at the surrounding beggars, having begged money from the noblewoman himself, he went straight back to the ruined house, it must have been the children in the same house who saw it, and under harsh circumstances, children''s hearts could become even more horrible than adults could imagine.


    Quaid kicked again, and Thales stealthily shielded his stomach with his elbow, dislodging the force slightly and putting on a pained face, like he was in agony from the kick - he couldn''t make a sound, Quaid loved it when kids screamed.


    ¡°I said!¡± Fear showed on Thales'' face, ¡°Don''t hit me!¡±


    ¡°That depends on my mood!¡± Quaid looked around the room and saw the other five beggars cowering in fear, which satisfied him that his authority was respected.


    ¡°I ran into a noble lady Wednesday morning, and she gave me almost ten coppers!¡± Thales hid in a corner and shuddered out.


    ¡°I knew it! Begging? It must have been stolen, right? No one can hide from me, especially not you little thief!¡± Quaid rubbed his palms together viciously, preparing for the next round of beatings, ¡°Hand over the money!¡±


    Not waiting for Quaid''s eyebrows to rise, Thales added, ¡°But I''m going to Red Square Street!¡±


    ¡°Red Square Street?¡± Quaid lowered his raised palm a little more, ¡°You went to the Blood Bottle Gang''s territory?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can''t really beg for more money at our place.¡± Aside from the Brotherhood''s men, skilled rangers, and certain guys with a special purpose, who would be so ungrateful as to balk at the three abandoned districts near the Black Street? Not even the city guards with their swords and shields would want to go near this sin-ridden place.


    ¡°I got that much money the first time, and the Blood Bottle Gang didn''t show up, and then I thought that I might have a chance the next day.¡±


    ¡°Stupid!¡± Quaid kicked Thales hard. Thales saw Coria shaking in the distance, only to hear Quaid cursing, ¡°And don''t think about it, the Blood Bottle Gang''s territory, are there that many bargains to be picked up?¡±


    Thales''s body shrank a bit and trembled, ¡°Yes, the next afternoon, the Blood Bottle Gang caught me, they hung me up, I said I was lost, they didn''t believe me, I handed over all my money, and they still wouldn''t let me go.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish! How did you escape then?¡± Quaid spat harshly.


    ¡°Then I said I was one of Boss Quaid''s men, and they, they just laughed and laughed.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Quaid clenched his fists as he grabbed Thales by his tattered, ragged linen collar and lifted him from the corner, ¡°They laughed at what?¡±


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    Thales shook his head in confusion, ¡°I couldn''t quite make out - what they were saying. ¡±


    Quaid stared at him fiercely, ¡°Tell me! ¡±


    Thales pretended to be frightened, shaking and trembling, ¡°There was a bald man among them, and he said that since he was a child under Quaid, he would leave him alive because Quaid needed children so much-¡±


    Before Thales could finish, he was slammed hard against the wall by Quaid!


    He shielded his head and chest and stomach as best he could, taking the impact of the wall with his back, then immediately turned his back toward Quaid to meet the heavy blows of his fury, all the while feeling the force of the heavy blows and switching the angle of his back at all times to cushion the blows.


    ¡°Bitch-raiser - you - bald - Spine - he How do you know--kill you--kill you--waste--stupid! --¡±


    Quaid yelled furiously, kicking at Thales one after the other, hissing words that could only be discerned as a few words.


    In the broken hole in the wall, several children watched in horror as Thales was severely beaten, but all held their mouths tightly shut to keep quiet.


    Thales breathed a sigh of relief as he endured the wild kicks that Quaid rained down on him.


    At least, now Quaid wouldn''t be asking questions about where the extra money had gone, and, horrible as it looked, a raging, frenzied Quaid was far safer than the one who tortured children when he was in a happy mood.


    Half-truths in what he said, Thales did go to Red Square Street, but he stayed hidden in the corner of a dark alley, watching his surroundings discreetly, and he did meet a noblewoman in a gossamer frock, but she was followed by twenty Terminal Swordsmen, which is why the Blood Bottle Gang didn''t interrupt him as he ran out of the alley to beg, and at the hands of the gossamer noblewoman, Thales did beg for twelve coins (he certainly wasn''t stupid enough to make a move to steal them in front of twenty Terminal Swordsmen), but he didn''t wait for the noblewoman''s group to get far away before quickly disappearing through the crowd, never to return.


    As for Bald Spine, Thales had never seen him before, knowing only that he was the leader of the Blood Bottle gang of thugs who collected black accounts. Quaid, on the other hand, used to be a black-bill-collecting thug in the Brotherhood - until one time Quaid messed with the wrong guy and got his lower body broken, which, on the other hand, was a bit more hush-hush, and was only learned by Thales when he lay down in the corner of the Brotherhood''s big house and listened to the room as Killer Layyork and Belicia, two of the Goblins, laughed at Quaid privately as they fought.


    By the time Quaid had finished venting his anger, cursing the Blood Bottle Gang''s bald Spin while pulling the bottle out of his arms and cursing as he left, Thales''s back clothing was shredded open and his back was bruised. Because Thales had deliberately turned sideways to avoid a frontal blow, blood had also been scraped and scratched in some places, and the pain came in bursts.


    As the blood flowed to the ground, Thales only felt a fiery pain hit him, probably because it had been too long since he had been punched, and he felt as if his muscles were on fire.


    Since crossing over to this world, getting beaten and starved, sick and cold was a common occurrence, but after gradually retrieving the memories belonging to graduate student Wu Qiren, with caution and the experience he once had, Thales hadn''t been beaten up so viciously in a long time.


    After Quaid''s voice faded away, the other five children in the house climbed out of their holes and skillfully carried the immobile Quaid out into the yard, where ten-year-old ¡°Big¡± Sinti grabbed a curved piece of broken bowl and went to the water tank to scoop up water. Cripple Ryan and Blackface Kellett, both eight years old, struggled to gather dead branches and weeds. With flint they endeavored to start a fire. Yellow-haired Ned, six, and Coria, the youngest, picked a few oddly shaped wild leaves, chewed them in their mouths, and gently rubbed them on Thales'' bruised back.


    Thales fought through the pain and tried to find some sort of distraction, looking at the watering Kolya and turning to the drooping yellow-haired Ned, doing his best to sound calm.


    ¡°It''s okay Ned, I don''t blame you.¡±


    Ned''s head snapped up, his face filled with horror, and the other four children turned their eyes to him.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± The six year old couldn''t hide his heart, guilt and horror written all over his face.


    Just now, as Thales was being severely beaten by Quaid, the three slightly older children were all staring dead ahead despite their fear, except for Kolya and Ned, one hiding her face in her hands and afraid to look up, the other looking into the wall, occasionally turning her head to glance in horror.


    Coria''s typhoid medicine was where those coppers ended up, and she certainly wouldn''t rat on them, but Thales was still not sure it was Ned, and now there was no more doubt.


    He tried to squeeze out a smile, ¡°It''s all right, Quaid won''t be meddling in this anymore.¡±


    ¡°I, I,¡± Ned''s face was red beyond recognition as he looked at Thales'' back, tears falling down his face, ¡®I haven''t begged for money this week and I''m too scared to steal it,¡¯ he sobbed, ¡±Ric didn''t say anything, but Quaid was very upset, and he said that if I did that again, he would sell me to the Great Desert to feed the barren bone men, and I was so scared that I told him, and said Thales, Thales you got back so many, many copper coins ...... the other day, and I thought they wouldn''t take me ...... that way, and Quaid just sent me back, and said he''d come over in the evening ......¡±


    Coria''s face reddened as well, and her hand wiping the herb shook so violently that a few more drops of blood dripped from Thales'' back to the ground. Thales groaned silently, the burning pain only subsiding, now fueled by Coria''s actions.


    Ryan stared angrily at Ned, causing the latter''s head to drop even lower, while Kelit looked at Ned and then at Thales in surprise, and only Sinti silently said nothing as she continued to bring the water over.


    ¡°It''s okay, Ned, Kolya,¡± Thales felt as if his back seemed to be healing quite a bit, and he gently took Ned''s hand in his, ¡±Next time, if either of you can''t get any money, let me know and I''ll figure something out.¡±


    Ned cried harder, his words a little muffled with sobs, ¡°Tay--Thales, I''m--I''m sorry--I''m sorry. --¡±


    ¡°It''s okay now Ned, don''t be afraid, I always have a way.¡± Thales smiled and took the broken bowl from Sinti''s hand, taking a sip of water.


    He turned his head and drew in a soft breath, his luck undoubtedly much worse compared to the countless predecessors who had traveled through countless worlds.


    But even so.


    He looked around at the five children, especially Kolya, who had just recovered from her typhoid fever and still had panic lingering in her crystalline eyes.


    We''ll have to find a way to beg for more money tomorrow, he thought.


    ---------- --------


    In the Sunset Temple of Eternal Star City, after finishing the benediction at sunset, a trainee priest who was tidying up the altar stopped what she was doing and looked in surprise at a sacrificial lamp filled with eternal oil under the stone altar.


    In this unremarkable sacrificial lamp, which had never been lit or used since she started taking care of the altar, a bright yellow flame suddenly flared up.


    The flame in turn suddenly turned red and crimson, like the color of blood, and grew more and more intense.


    One of the older priests noticed the intern''s disorientation, and she scolded her disgruntledly, before the intern turned her attention back to the altar. But it wasn''t until the priest herself saw the unusual sacrificial lamp that the older one shrieked.


    ¡°Nia, quick, inform the Lord High Priest!¡±


    The older priest''s surprise could not be concealed, and she trembled as she flung herself in front of the sacrificial lamp, raising her right palm and turning her left palm upwards in preparation for the prayer pose.


    What was going on here? For the first time, intern Nia saw the honorable priest-sama so out of sorts that she herself was affected.


    Did I make a mistake? But I didn''t touch that lamp.


    ¡°But, but, what should I tell the Lord Priest? That someone secretly lit, lit a lamp next to the altar?¡± Nia asked in a panic.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The older priest stared at the lamp dead in the face, the prayer form in his hand shifting constantly.


    ¡°This lamp, even if you exhaust the two continents and countless islands of the entire world of Errol, there is only one person who can light it.¡±


    ¡°That person, will determine the future of the kingdom.¡±


    £¨The phrase "Wu Qiren" in Chinese denotes that this person does not exist.£©

 2.nervous rik

    µÚ¶þÕÂ


    ¡°How did he get this drunk again?¡±


    In a derelict house in the Second District of the Lower City, Quade¡¯s deputy¡ªNar Rick¡ªglared at the drunken mess before him, clutching a bottle of liquor. He waved his hand, signaling two young Brotherhood members to haul Quade away.


    ¡°Lock him up for a day. Let him sober up before releasing him.¡±


    Drunk like this¡ªit seems he didn¡¯t do much to that kid¡ªRick (he preferred his surname over his given name) revealed a cryptic smile.


    Nar Rick, unlike Quade¡ªwhose skills had deteriorated, relegating him from enforcer to managing beggar operations¡ªwas a Brotherhood member with both ambition and capability.


    He had once studied at the Shuka City Accounting Academy in the southern part of the kingdom. If not for his father, a scribe, getting into trouble, Rick might now be an accountant for a city department or even a noble family. Perhaps he could have climbed even higher, becoming a merchant in some lucrative trade. With enough money, he might have even bought a knighthood, stepping into the first tier of the Star Kingdom¡¯s upper society¡ªthree hundred years ago, hadn¡¯t the Shukadel family, marked by the morning glory flower, risen in just such a manner? Now they were one of the kingdom¡¯s most influential noble houses.


    But even as a fallen gangster, forever cut off from the path to nobility, Rick believed he was far more qualified to be a decision-maker in the Brotherhood than those muscle-headed, woman-obsessed thugs.


    When the Brotherhood¡¯s operations expanded to the southern coast of the kingdom, Rick, a southern street tough, was recruited for his talents. He orchestrated several successful human trafficking chains from the south to the capital, catching the attention of the Brotherhood¡¯s higher-ups. They promoted him and transferred him to Eternal Star City¡ªthe kingdom¡¯s capital, the heart of the stars, the radiant jewel of the western continent¡ªtasking him with managing the Brotherhood¡¯s beggar accounts in the capital.


    Yes, Rick knew that while he was ostensibly Quade¡¯s deputy and accountant, the higher-ups had effectively entrusted him with all the Brotherhood¡¯s beggar operations in Eternal Star City. Just look at his ¡°superior,¡± Quade¡ªa once-feared enforcer who had carved out a reputation with axe and blade in the old Lower City¡¯s three districts. Now he was a pathetic wreck, only finding dignity in tormenting beggar children. If not for the fact that Quade was the son of a high-ranking Brotherhood member, he would have long been trampled into the mud of Eternal Star City¡¯s slums and left to rot.


    And besides, most of the losses among the beggar children were caused by him.


    Of course, it was precisely because of this that Quade¡¯s father provided him with a generous monthly allowance, from which Rick himself could skim a tidy profit.


    If not for the fact that Quade¡¯s father was a heavyweight in the arms trade, he would have long since lost his influence within the Brotherhood.


    And what happens when a gang boss loses his power?


    Rick shook his head, watching as Quade was dragged away.


    The beggar trade, compared to smuggling drugs and weapons, trading Eternal Oil and Lijing ore, or even collecting debts and managing street operations, seemed insignificant and lowly.


    But Rick believed this was his opportunity.


    The Brotherhood had risen rapidly, but human trafficking had always been its primary source of profit. The Brotherhood¡¯s human trafficking network was comprehensive, dealing in everything from infants to the elderly, humans to elves, and even intelligent creatures from the distant lands of the Sorceress Queen. However, the most crucial aspect was the Brotherhood¡¯s own recruitment pipeline. Infants and toddlers were collected and raised by ¡°Black-Hearted Widow¡± Beth, with some sold off. Slightly older children were sent to Rick, who ¡°toughened¡± them into beggars. Those in their teens were then handed over to ¡°Ironhide¡± Locke for enforcer training, ¡°Flirty¡± Belicia for brothel work, or other specialized handlers, eventually becoming full-fledged members of the Brotherhood.


    Thus, as the manager of the beggar operations, Rick saw himself as a vital link in the Brotherhood¡¯s human trafficking chain¡ªthe very foundation of its future. He was also the node through which the Brotherhood¡¯s future bloodline flowed, all while overseeing a network of street-level informants in the capital. Just think: he was the first Brotherhood figure these future members would encounter as they formed their earliest memories. He could identify promising candidates in their childhood, extend timely favors, and in the future¡­


    See? This is why Nar Rick is a man of ambition.


    And more than that¡ªthis thought always excited Rick¡ªthis was Eternal Star City! The capital of the Star Kingdom, the second-largest kingdom on the western continent, and the birthplace of the Black Street Brotherhood. Working here meant the Brotherhood¡¯s bigwigs would always have their eyes on you. And if they were watching, there was always a chance for promotion.


    Of course, the risk of disaster was equally high.


    Fortunately, Rick thought, clasping his hands behind his back and raising an eyebrow as he watched the drunken Quade disappear into the distance, there¡¯s always this fool to take the fall.


    Under the moonlight, Rick turned his head and continued walking, looking at the twenty or so dilapidated houses in front of him. He knew that each of these derelict buildings housed many beggars, and these were the most important seedlings and chips for him to climb up in the future.


    For instance, the black-haired Thales from the sixth house. Two years ago, when Beth, who took care of babies, sent him over, she had a different attitude towards that child.


    Sure enough, to this day, this child, although only eight years old (was it eight or seven?), was clever and cunning. Just a week ago, he surprisingly came up with a scheme to act for begging ¡ª a lovely child was beaten up by other bigger kids, who stole his money and food. Therefore, when he hid in a corner, weeping alone, passing ladies could not help but give him more compensation ¡ª Rick thought to himself, compared to those beggars who cried until they were hoarse and annoying, the gang was desperate for someone who could think.


    This child would certainly climb higher when he grew up.


    He should reward him a little to win Thales'' gratitude. Of course, a reward without contrast would not evoke appreciation.


    That was why tonight, when the boy sharing a room with Thales told him that Thales might be hiding money, Rick encouraged Quaid to settle the score with him. By the time Quaid beat Thales to the brink of death, he would step in to stop it, even at the cost of clashing with Quaid (that useless person only had this much use), and then Thales would intentionally or unintentionally see him as a support.


    Rick didn¡¯t care whether each beggar had paid their dues; that was something short-sighted people would worry about. Compared to a few copper coins, Rick knew that human relationships were a more important asset.


    But that boy ¡ª Thales was still too clever. Rick knew that, whether Thales had money to give Quaid or not, the latter would torment him to death (if Thales really did take out money, it would only be worse). But obviously, that boy found a way to escape this catastrophe ¡ª normally, enthusiastic Quaid would ¡°carefully¡± concoct these disobedient children to entertain him, regardless of whether they were really disobedient.


    It didn¡¯t matter; what had to be done still had to be done, even if the effect was not good. At worst, he could find another reason for Quaid to beat him up.


    Rick walked to the sixth house and stepped over the broken door panel.


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    He saw Thales gasping for breath in the overgrown yard, lying on the ground, while several children were applying something on him ¡ª my god, a few seven, eight, or nine-year-olds were actually planting Uldron leaves in the yard? Typically, only experienced gang members and impoverished people who had lived for many years would know that this wild plant could be used as a quick and cheap remedy for external injuries.


    ¡°Ah! Mr. Rick!¡± The limping Ryan was the first to notice Rick''s arrival. His experience of having a broken leg made him more sensitive to the surroundings.


    Quaid had only left for less than an hour, and the fear in the yard had not yet dissipated. Ned ¡ª the snitching boy still had traces of tears on his face, Kelly was covering his dark face, and the bigger kid, Sinti, took a step back in fright.


    Especially the smallest girl, who even screamed in fear.


    Beth had instructed before that she was a descendant of a noble with hereditary traits and had a high chance of being a beauty. Don''t mess her up; later, if Belicia coached her a bit more, there could be a lot of profit. It''s a pity that his beggars had to be handed over to the association once they turned ten, at most twelve. If only he could keep her until fifteen... then send her away, that would be fine; otherwise, thirteen would also work.


    ¡°Mr. Rick!¡± Thales interrupted Rick''s subtle thoughts, struggling to turn his head, the injury on his back making him grimace in pain.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, Thales,¡± Rick sighed, showing a compassionate expression: ¡°I can¡¯t stop him ¡ª Quaid ¡ª after all, I¡¯m just his assistant and can¡¯t afford to offend his backers.¡±


    ¡°I can only come quietly afterward,¡± under the careful gaze of several children, Rick squatted down, anxiously checking Thales''s injuries, ¡°Fortunately, he didn¡¯t go too hard today, otherwise¡ª¡±


    "Mr. Rick, I''m fine," Thales struggled to say, "I''m just really sorry, my allowance last week really¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forget about the allowance!¡± Rick took the broken bowl from Cinti''s hands, emptied the water inside, picked a few pieces of Uldron leaves, and started grinding with a stone, ¡°You were sent to me when you were just little ones, and over the years, I''ve watched you grow from shivering little creatures into rough, clumsy children. To me, you are far more important than a few pennies,¡± A pained expression crossed Rick¡¯s face, ¡°At your age, you shouldn¡¯t be begging on the streets, but that¡¯s the rule of the brotherhood¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rick,¡± Thales seemed a bit moved, tightening his fists, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Here, use the stone to crush the herbs; it works better than chewing them with your mouth,¡± Rick wiped the herbs in the bowl and applied them to Thales himself, while Kelet beside him bit her lip and let out a whimper.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Rick,¡± Corlia said softly, ¡°I wish it were you taking care of us, instead of Quaid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let Quaid hear you say that,¡± Rick smiled wryly, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m quite afraid of him.¡±


    The kids shared a knowing smile¡ªRick knew that showing common ground and humor at the right moment was a good way to make people accept him.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Mr. Rick.¡± Thales said earnestly, knowing that he appeared more mature in the eyes of many, so there was no need to act too childish.


    Rick nodded: ¡°Take care of yourself; you¡¯re a smart kid, and I believe you can do well.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± Rick seemed to suddenly remember something, handed the bowl to Nide, pulled out a pouch of coins from his waist, and gave it to the bewildered Cinti: ¡°I have to submit every month, and I don¡¯t have much of my own money. Here are thirty copper coins; go to the Grove Apothecary¡ªthe one at the boundary of the Twilight Zone and the Lower District¡ªand buy some healing medicine. This money should be enough, provided the prices haven¡¯t gone up.¡±


    Of course, this money wasn¡¯t enough¡ªRick thought to himself, having visited the Grove Apothecary a week ago, just when the price had gone up. So, when the children find out they are short on money, they will think it¡¯s due to the sudden price rise.


    If the money isn¡¯t enough, what can they do? Of course, they will take it from the allowance earned from begging, which means they definitely won¡¯t have enough next week. At that time¡ª


    ¡°Be careful when buying the medicine; don¡¯t let anyone know¡ªespecially Quaid,¡± Rick said with a smile as he stood up.


    Of course, Rick thought, Quaid would find out.


    If they don¡¯t go buy the medicine, that would be even better; then Quaid would know they really hid the money.


    Rick¡¯s mouth curled upwards slightly.


    Then, he would reap their final loyalty.


    ¡°Mr. Rick,¡± Corlia looked at the pouch of coins in Cinti¡¯s hand, nearly in tears, ¡°You... you¡¯re really a good person.¡±


    Nide beside her bit his lip, nodding vigorously.


    Even the older kid, Cinti, seemed touched, weighing the pouch in her hand.


    Rick sighed, shook his head, and waved his hand: ¡°No, I should apologize. This is all I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Rick,¡± Thales lay on the ground, but looked at Rick with hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Rick raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I heard that when we grow up, we¡¯ll be sent to other places for training,¡± Thales asked cautiously, as if afraid of offending Rick, ¡°So¡ªafter we finish training, can we work under you?¡±


    Hearing this, Kelet, Nide, and Corlia looked at Rick with hope.


    Snap, Rick snapped his fingers in his mind.


    Point scored.


    Faster than expected.


    ¡°Hehe, about that,¡± Rick broke into a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by how I seem now; in the brotherhood, I¡¯m a man with ideals.¡±


    Rick bent down with a smile, ruffled Thales hair, appearing more approachable: ¡°My little subordinates will be the best and strongest in the entire brotherhood!¡±


    This is my honest truth, Rick thought to himself.


    ¡°So, if you want to be my subordinates, you¡¯d better work hard!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± The kids nodded in unison, full of hope, and Thales was no exception.


    ¡°I¡¯m off now, Thales , and the rest of you,¡± Rick turned around, tilting his head to reveal his profile, ¡°Next time something like this happens, come tell me secretly. Although I can¡¯t stop him directly, I can cause some trouble to keep him away from you.¡±


    After saying that, Rick flashed his white teeth, glinting in the moonlight, and left the courtyard of House Six without looking back.


    ¡°Mr. Rick is really a good person,¡± Nide wiped the tears from his face, ¡°Not like that bad Quaid.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Corlia nodded, her eyes full of joy, as if she had tasted candy.


    ¡°But,¡± the limping Ryan, still in shock, hesitated and spoke up, ¡°I always feel like Mr. Rick is even more frightening than Quaid.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a coward!¡±


    ¡°Coward Lyne, how can you ask for money looking like that!¡±


    Only Thales, after Rick left, slowly calmed his gaze.


    When he saw Cynthia counting the thirty coppers in her purse one by one, Thales let out a slight breath.


    His back still hurt; he knew that proper external injury medicine would be better for his wounds. But Thales had just visited Grove Apothecary yesterday morning, where he took the typhoid medicine from Yanni at the back door. He had heard her complain that her stingy boss raised the prices of the medicines, with even the external injury medicine increasing to thirty-five coppers¡ªexactly five coppers more than what Rick had given.


    However, he also learned a crucial point from Yara, the bar owner''s daughter at the Sunset Bar.


    The considerable expenses of Quade at the bar were all covered by Rick.


    But¡ª


    ¡°I have to turn in every month; my own money isn¡¯t much¡­¡±


    Rick''s recent words echoed in the traveler¡¯s ears, and he couldn¡¯t help but glance at the bag of coppers beside him.


    The beggars had already forgotten their fears, playfully pushing each other.


    Only Thales furrowed his brow, awkwardly turned his head to glance at his scarred back, sighed heavily, and let it drop again.


    This damned world.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rick walked to the tenth house, calculating that there was an eight-year-old child named Karak inside, a tough little character who needed to be dealt with and drawn under his command. Just then, he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck.


    This was his innate ability.


    In absolute tranquility (absolute tranquility¡ªany slight distraction would break it), if a living creature approached within about five meters, he would feel a chill at his neck.


    And that was it.


    But don¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t a warrior; even if he were, compared to those powerful and diverse abilities of the kingdom¡¯s elite units, as well as the formidable Endblade Warriors, knights, and even the mysterious magical energy users, his ability was hardly worth mentioning. Even the interns in the various divine temples could easily pin him down.


    But Rick felt that one day, this ability would save his life.


    Like now.


    Rick quickly turned around, searching the surroundings under the moonlight while his left hand reached into his pocket to grasp the small but deadly mini crossbow.


    Bright moonlight.


    A deserted street.


    No cover.


    But utterly empty.


    Rick took a deep breath and maintained his absolute calm.


    He felt that the cold at the back of his neck was still persistent.


    Could it be a rat crawling through the sewer beneath him?


    Rick turned in three different directions, racing forward for a bit, but the lingering chill at his neck made him discard this hypothesis.


    What rat would run twenty meters in three different directions directly beneath him?


    Rick''s heart grew increasingly fearful.


    He shouldn¡¯t have come out alone; even if this was a deserted building, it was Brotherhood territory.


    He should have brought twenty thugs, each with a magic energy gun, no matter how heavy that damned thing was.


    Just like the big boss of the Brotherhood responsible for drug trafficking, Razanch Feso, who was always followed by thirty people.


    In fact, if he could afford it, he should have hired two Endblade Warriors, or a power user, or even a magical energy user¡ªnever mind, the magical energy users were too scary.


    Narlik, you need to stay calm, he told himself; you¡¯re the man meant to govern the entire Eternal Star City and even the underground world of the Star Kingdom in the future, stay calm, you must stay calm.


    He forced himself to appear composed and turned around, retracing his steps as if he had just been jogging for fitness.


    Did he offend anyone? Does anyone want his life? Was there anything worth noticing in this neighborhood?


    He walked several hundred meters, and under the moonlight, the surroundings were empty.


    But the chill at the back of his neck remained.

 3.ghost

    "Forgive me for coming, but the news from the Temple of the Sunset... If it is true, "a middle-aged


    grey-haired nobleman, whose right hand trembled slightly, bowed deeply to his left breast:


    "Please allow me to come and see to it for you myself."


    "You are very well informed, old friend," said a stout figure gravely by the roaring fire, lowering his


    right hand on his chin. "The return just now: not yet confirmed, but the lamp in the temple of the


    setting sun has indeed been lit, and looks very close."


    "I have sent Jodl, who is better suited to covert operations than Ada."


    The grey-haired nobleman gasped.


    ''Jodl?


    "That''s right," the stout figure said faintly:


    "You know how important this news is, Li Xiya, she even sealed the inner altar in the name of the


    Oracle at the first time, so we can''t risk unnecessary exposure. Only at the moment of final


    confirmation, I will secretly send you."


    "Of course, of course," the grey-haired middle-aged nobleman could hardly contain his excitement.


    "If that happens, I will be at your service with all my heart."


    "Well," sighed the stout figure, "I should have been more excited than you."


    "But somehow I am so calm."


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rick didn''t know how he had walked back to the frat house.


    The chill in the back of his neck never stopped.


    But when he saw the Black Street headquarters of the frat house, the two elite thugs at the door


    playing stick-in-the-fingers with knives, the light guards looming outside...


    When he entered the great room and saw behind the iron table Boss Morris perusing the accounts...


    But when he saw Belicia''s disdainful eyes leaning against the colonnade -- presumably because


    Belicia''s proposal to increase the funding for the prostitute house had been turned down again


    tonight --


    Rick''s heart was really relieved.


    that moment, even Layok, the killer who had always been at odds with him, seemed amiable by


    the candlelight at the table.


    Before he knew it, the chill at the back of his neck was gone, as if it had never been there.


    Even Rick wondered if he was a nervous wreck.


    When he mentioned to Boss Morris, who was in the population business, that he suspected


    someone was following him, Leyjok burst out a mouthful of ale with a laugh and blew out the


    candlesticks on the table, and Belicia yawned and tightened her enormous chest and looked at him


    with even more contempt.


    And Boss Morris, when he saw the cold sweat on his head, also looked strange, patting Rick on the


    shoulder, asking him not to "work too hard" in the near future, watching less plays in the Temple


    of the Night, and waiting for strange doctor Ramon to come back from a business trip, let him


    prescribe a calming prescription.


    This is bad!


    Rick knows it''s hard to believe even that he has powers.


    Let alone a psychopath who had followed him for a mile from the abandoned house to the dark


    street, invisible and invisible, with no purpose and no movement -- but subconsciously Rick thought


    that the guy was real!


    But when he goes back to his room, lies down and goes over the details of the night''s stalking, even


    Rick, who is always suspicious, wonders if he''s really too nervous.


    Rick calmed down and tried his powers again. Everything was fine. His neck was comfortable on


    the pillowcase.


    Okay, maybe I''m just being paranoid.


    But the next moment, that thrilling chill comes again!


    Shit!


    I can''t sleep!


    Rick tumbled out of bed.


    He pulled out a box under the bed, dug out a Siegel VI magic gun, heavy enough to be dragged by


    two hands, pressed it nervously against the solid wall, and slowly tiptoed out of the corridor, listening carefully.


    The corridor was full of immortal lamps burning with eternal oil, which shone brightly, but still


    there was no one there. In the distance, one of the watchmen, returning from a bathroom break,


    appeared to be scratching an itch and tugging at the black and red leather of his crotch as he walked


    past Rick.


    From the room at the end of the corridor came the customary wild, wild roar of Leyok and Belicia.


    "Damn you, shameless dogs and women," Rick cursed loudly.


    "Better push it too hard and break it!"


    "Brother Whistle, who had just passed, turned with sympathy and nodded at Rick.


    The two men looked at each other and felt confidant.


    Then Rick saw the other painfully scratching the leather on his crotch, while the other looked at


    him leaning against the wall with his magic gun.


    They both turned their heads awkwardly, back to their posts, back to their rooms.


    Rick touched the back of his neck.


    Shit, this damn power must have malfunctioned.


    Besides, there''s no point in holding a magic gun if they''ve got their hands on a frat house that''s so


    good they haven''t been spotted by anyone.


    Even Boss Morris can''t help it.


    Sleep, sleep.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Tyers'' back injury looked bad, but it didn''t seem too serious, because it was only day three and he


    was up and walking.


    Maybe... Life is hard for people with cheap lives, Tyers lined up and sighed.


    He looked at the broken houses and walls around him, took the brown bread and wild vegetables


    handed by the enforcer Pearson, and bit them into his mouth.


    The damn place."Next to you is the sharp branch, you must have secretly cut my hand!"


    ''It wasn''t me! My hand was cut last night too, and I can''t ''work''!"


    ''We all have cuts on our hands! It must be the people in the eighth house! They''re jealous of what


    we got yesterday!"


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ''So it''s them! Our man in the fourteenth room was cut in the night, too! They don''t want us out in


    the streets'' petting sheep ''!"


    Tyers yawned as he idly listened to the beggars in several different rooms as arguments turned into


    fights, and the beggars even heckled until the thugs came to stop them.


    He sighed, swallowed the last of his unsavoury breakfast, clapped his hands and called the beggars


    in Room six.


    The work began.


    The day is Tuesday, the sixth house of begging is relatively smooth, they for more business, directly


    to the west gate near the guard card place -- the recent week seems to be the celebration of the


    sunset God, but heard that the oracle fell, the sunset temple blocked the inner altar, leading to


    many believers from afar have to go home from the West gate, they can only climb the city wall,


    pray to the sunset, To make up for the regret of not being able to pray to the first shrine of the


    goddess of sunset in the world.


    Tyles manages, with the help of Lane and Coria, to make his way from a fat fruit and vegetable


    vendor to a statue of the bright moon carved out of black wood, before the guards turn their glares


    into an attempt to stop him.


    The vendor is too attentive to the purse in his arms (" Stay away, puppies! "), so while Ryan and


    Coria haggle with him over the price of an alfalfa, Tyers reaches for the package behind him.


    The belief of the Bright Moon is not common in the Kingdom of Stars, let alone in the first temple


    of the sunset in the Star City, which makes the statue of the bright moon even more special -- of


    course, this kind of stolen goods can not see the light, can only be sold in the Brotherhood channel,


    Brotherhood veterans know that they are only beg and steal, but will be desperate to pressure the


    price, and even when they come across valuable products, they will forcibly rob. Can be exchanged


    for five copper is good.


    But even the smallest mosquito is meat.


    When Tyles and the others returned to the abandoned house, they met Rick, who came to visit as


    usual, but the latter did not have the usual kind and indifferent, but his face hurriedly told the enforcer a few words, and disappeared from sight.


    "Is Mr. Rick in trouble?"


    "Asked the hungry Coria, biting her fingers.


    They traveled far and came back late, but Tyles was on good terms with Pearson, the enforcer who


    delivered the food, and often bribed small gifts before he promised to leave them a meal.


    "Probably Quaid. That guy''s the biggest troublemaker." "Kellett said, his stomach growling, too.


    Ned and Ryan shuddered at the name.


    "No food tonight, boys." When the six children entered the empty delivery yard, Pearson, who was


    in charge of the meal, waved.


    "Don''t look at me. I can''t help it," Pearson said, shaking his head casually in the face of angry but


    somewhat insecure questioning from the six children. "Rick gave the order to go to bed early


    tonight. The hours are early."


    Tyles frowned, touched his empty belly, and began to wonder whether he should sneak into the


    beater''s watch for food tonight.


    But he glanced around at the five others who were waiting for food, sighed, and pulled out the


    statue of the bright moon he had brought from his pocket.


    In the end, Tyles gave the statue as a price in exchange for the four and a half loaves of bread and


    half a bowl of black cabbage that Pearson had intended to cut off and leave for his two hounds.


    "Rick and Quaid have been a little jumpy lately," he said.


    When the other five children were eating away, Pearson broke some news to Tyles before he left:


    "Quaid''s getting grumpy, and he''s been saying things like ''dead-head'' all the time -- but that''s what


    he is -- but Rick''s been acting weird, especially since the last two days, and from what people here


    are saying..."


    At this point, Pearson looked around and whispered in Tyles''s ear:


    "He''s being haunted by a ghost."


    A ghost?


    Tyles looked at the receding Pearson, took a bite of the brown bread that usually tasted bad but became extra tasty when hungry, and mused silently.


    I don''t know what happened to Rick to make him hit a ghost.


    But the thing that made Quaid''s temper worse and worse...


    Tyles swallows a mouthful of bread.


    Looks like he''s been toning it down a bit lately.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Rick was nervous again.


    Two days before, he thought his powers were wrong.


    But it wasn''t until this morning, when he opened the book of supplies for the next batch of beggars,


    that he really knew for sure:


    That his powers were not at fault.


    Rick is a very ambitious man, and he believes that to achieve his ambition, he must start from small


    things: for example, never write the schedule and plan on paper, such as drawers, boxes and


    important documents, he will clip a few hair in the inconspicuous places, to prevent people from


    stealing and peeking, such as never hide money in one place and so on.


    He has always been proud of his caution, and he thinks that one day he will receive the reward he


    deserves for such caution.


    Now, for example.


    Rick opened the book of Beggars.


    On each page of the book, the hair was in the same place.


    This was supposed to be a good thing. It meant that no one touched the book.


    But Rick was the son of the scribe.


    His father had taught him that every good thief, if he wanted to, could easily circumvent such hair


    clipping secrecy laws and open the papers he wanted without anyone noticing.


    So Rick got a more cautious approach from his father.The quickest way to flip through a document without anyone noticing, with the hair in the pages,


    was to hold the hair in place, holding the top and bottom of the pages in your hand while you


    turned, and keep the hair in place.


    How do you break this method?


    Like the nobility, it is the fastest and safest way to seal it with fire paint.


    But Rick had a light, dry gel made from his father''s fish oil.


    It''s a gel for the poor people who live by the river, and the properties (drawbacks?) of this dry gel.


    The adhesive force is not strong, as long as the book is not too heavy, after the pages are coated,


    even if the book is closed, the glue will not stick together, you must press the two sides of the glue


    for a short period of time, the pages will stick together.


    When Rick opened the book, he found that all the hair was in its place except for one bit.


    It was all glued to the page.


    His poor-quality gel couldn''t have done it without an external force.


    Someone had looked through his scrounger book and found his "anti-theft hair", which he had


    turned the pages between his hands.


    Rick felt a chill in his heart.


    The other person must have mastered it, so that the four different but inconspicuous hairs on the


    page could remain in their place without deviation.


    Fortunately, he had the secret from his father to find out.


    Ten days ago, because I saw Tyles''s begging scene, in order to find the boy Tyles is in the house, I


    had looked through the roster.


    At that time, everything was normal.


    But as of today, in the intervening ten days, someone has come to his room and looked through


    the book of beggars?


    Rick got a cold scalp.


    It dawned on him that this wasn''t the most important thing.


    So Rick rolled and crawled through the secret compartment of the drawer.He pulled out the most important ledger of human transactions and his secret deposit book at


    King''s Bank.


    The ledger and the deposit book were safe, undisturbed, and the hair had fallen naturally from the


    pages.


    Rick breathed a sigh of relief.


    Thankfully, the contents of these cells haven''t been -- wait.


    If you are a master, how can you miss the secret?


    Trembling, Rick pulled out the whole compartment, opened it, and moved his hand to where the


    hair should have been.


    Then he slumped back in his chair.


    Hair.


    They are being firmly glued to the seams of the dark compartment by his Rick''s unique light dry


    gel that won''t be effective without force.


    As Rick swooned into the dining room, ignoring the flirting Lyok and Belia, it was Lyok, who had


    never served the dish, who gloated at him.


    "Accountant, I hear you''ve been hit by a ghost?"


    Rick ignored him and just continued to sit down expressionless.


    Vaguely, he pulled a bottle of accounting ink from the table, mistook it for sauce, and poured it


    over his steak.


    "Ignore him," said Belicia, smiling as she sat in Leyok''s arms, cast a flirty glance at the killer, and


    slipped a glass of red wine into his mouth. "Come to my room tonight?"


    "Well, of course, of course," replied Lyjok hurriedly, before he could swallow the wine, "I found out


    today that the boss took all the guards out of the house a week ago, so tonight we might as well...


    Hey, hey... Go crazy."


    "Ouch, you''re bad..."


    Removed all the checkpoints outside the house a week ago...''Clank! The ink bottle Rick was holding hit the table, and the ink ran across the table and into the


    man and woman on the other side.


    He looked up pale at the unhappy Leyok and Belicia.


    "A week ago? A week ago, was there no guard at the main house?"


    "Nonsense," Lyok brushed off the ink and threw a piece of bread angrily at Rick''s face.


    "The last big Bloodibottle operation, the boss said to keep it a secret, the fewer the better, so the


    checkpoints have been taken outside -- but don''t worry, you''ve got a haunting ghost looking out


    for you."


    "So, so in the hallway," Rick didn''t realize, his voice was trembling now. "So in the hallway, there


    won''t be any whistles in the hallway?"


    But Lyok and Belicia had already forgotten him, and kissed as if no one were watching.


    Rick took a deep breath.


    The day before had been followed inexplicably in the abandoned house, the guard brothers who


    were not supposed to exist in the hallways that night, the scrounging roster that had been sifted


    through the room.


    Good. I can connect all the dots.


    And now, Narr Rick, he said to himself, trembling with tension:


    You''re being watched.


    The opponent may be strong.


    Powerful enough to move around the heavily guarded headquarters of Black Street, powerful


    enough to be unaware even of a fearsome killer like Lyok, or an experienced Power warrior like


    Boss Morris.


    Only I had the good fortune, thanks to my late father, to discover it.


    He could be right behind me.


    I had to save myself, save myself!


    I must find his purpose!"Rick''s mind worked like crazy.


    In the past two days, Rick should have turned his room upside down, but he only carefully looked


    at the book of begging children.


    He abandoned the more important books like a blank shoe.


    Rick thought: What the other is looking for, in the begging book!


    By the way, he was targeted near the abandoned house, which happened to be where the begging


    children lived!


    He was looking for some beggar!


    But Rick thought with a headache that he had dozens of beggars on his hands!


    Next month, Beth will send another batch of children, these are unknown or no future problems


    (important and valuable children, such as the descendants of some powerful people, some rich


    businessmen''s children, have long been redeemed and killed), the other side wants, in the end,


    which beggar?


    Why, with such a brilliant skill, such a terrible strength, did he not make fair demands on the


    Brotherhood?


    We''ll just give it to you!


    I would rather cooperate with him one by one, even if all the more than 100 beggars are pulled out


    one by one, stripped and searched, or even killed and dissected, than such a daily fear, being hung


    by a "ghost" far away!


    Wait for it!


    I seem to have thought of the key.


    Why didn''t he make his demands on the Brotherhood above board?


    Rick winked.


    Of course it is, and no one can know about this, not even the Black Street Brotherhood!


    Is it a Brotherhood rival?


    No, if the Blood Bottle Gang had that kind of power, the Black Street Brotherhood would have been


    overturned dozens of times by now.That means they probably don''t have the formal channels, or don''t bother to deal with a Black


    Street frat downtown!


    Such fearsome figures certainly don''t come down to dealing with ghetto gangsters.


    And why should he be interested in orphans who have been dead for years?


    Can''t you just go to the Vigilance Office to find a missing child?


    And this level of figures and forces, the security office dare not neglect, in the face of the official,


    even the seemingly arrogant brotherhood can only bow.


    Wait a minute!


    Rick''s mind lit up, feeling like he''d hit the point.


    He was smart, invisible, secretive, interested in the origins of a certain kid, unwilling to deal with


    the Black Street Brotherhood.


    Power is built with money and resources, secret because it would be bad for him to go public, and


    not dealing with the Brotherhood because he''s too high up the hierarchy.


    As for being interested in the kids the Brotherhood collects from all sources, from all backgrounds...


    ... wait, etc.


    Behind him must be the high men of power and wealth, yet he evades all eyes and ears, from the


    Brotherhood to the guard House, and secretly searches for some important child - child?


    Shit!


    Rick slapped his thigh hard, a string running through his head.


    He was in the middle of some big family succession struggle!


    Rick stared hard at Leyok and Belicia, who had begun to make hands on each other as if no one


    were watching.


    However, his mind had long since turned away from the couple in front of him.


    Perhaps the 15 million people in the entire Kingdom of Stars did not know that one day, a secret


    truth that could shake the kingdom and shake the continents of the East and West had been so


    close to a humble gang leader.

 4.Accidents always come suddenly

    ''Yala! Black pine! And, a dozen more!"


    Gasping for breath, Quaid leaned over the bar in the noisy, dim Sunset bar and poured drinks into


    his mouth, one after another.


    "Hey, big guy, no money to tip, no black pine!


    Yala from behind the bar, with a grumpy look on her face, brings up two large glasses of black pine,


    which she slams unceremoniously against the counter:


    ''These are the last two, for your father''s sake! You''ve got thirty seconds to finish them and get the


    hell out of here! Every hour you sit here, our bar, nay, the whole underground street, loses ten


    percent of its profits!"


    Quaid was a little dizzy from the drink, but even in the crowded bar, Yala''s fierce voice was heard


    far away.


    Feeling the glances of the drinkers around him and the possible smiles on their hearts, Quaid


    caught a fire in his heart.


    Back in the day, he was Quaid "the Blood Axe" Rhoda, who terrorized the whole Lower town!


    If, if it hadn''t happened... And now how, how can a girl look at the bar and bully him?


    Even the bald Spence, who came out two years later than him, would dare to laugh at himself and


    laugh at his vagina in front of the beggar...


    Grass!


    "Chicks without long eyes!


    Quaid, exasperated by the thought, gnashed his teeth and shook his heavy head to his feet.


    He grabbed Yala''s hand across the bar, dragged her towards him, and bellowed bitterly:


    ''I said it! A dozen black pines!"


    The whole bar fell silent.


    Lower Town is the most chaotic part of Eternal City, and Underground Street is the most chaotic


    part of Lower Town - especially after the Black Street Brotherhood took over ten years ago.


    The Sunset Bar sits in a prominent position in this mess, and the people who come here are either


    affiliated with the Black Street Frat House or are looking for a frat house.So when Quaid grabbed Yala''s hand and growled, the patrons looked on as if they were watching


    the show. No one said a word, no one stopped them.


    Quaid''s head grew fainter.


    Still, he felt the wrist he was holding so soft, so... Soft.


    In the dim yellow light of the bar menorah, and at such close range, Yala''s smooth face and delicate


    contours appeared clearer than usual, her short gray hair so clean that Quaid could even faintly


    smell the faint scent on her counterpart.


    His mind wandered, and for a moment he thought of many things.


    Yala seemed frightened by him, too.


    The girl looks in surprise at the former gold medal enforcer, now a down-and-out drinker.


    When the cacophony of drinkers died down, the giddy Quaid felt vaguely satisfied: the silence was


    proof that his actions were getting the attention they deserved.


    And respect.


    But soon enough, as he shifts his gaze to Yala, Quaid''s wine gradually wakes up.


    His face changed.


    From his first desperate cheerfulness and arrogance, fear and alarm gradually changed.


    Yala Sariton.


    Quaid is one of the few people who knows her full name.


    This beautiful woman - Quaid suddenly recalled his father''s words telling him to "stay away from


    her."


    And what he saw and heard several times at the Sunset Bar.


    And this bitchy, seductive "bar girl" was staring at him playfully, letting him hold her hand.


    Quaid''s jaw began to shake uncontrollably:


    "Yala, that, I''m not..."But before Quaid could react -


    "Da!


    His hand, which was holding Yala, was snapped back by the latter!


    And before that was over, his middle and index fingers were broken in the opposite direction!


    The pain was excruciating.


    ''Aah!


    Quaid cried out in pain, his face disfigured.


    But that was only the prelude, for Yala, with a sharp face, clasped his arm and wrenched it in the


    opposite direction of his elbow!


    ''Clack!


    The crackle of dislocated elbows coincided with Quaid''s screams.


    "Ahhhhhhh!


    "No, no, no! Yala! Sister Yala! Oh, I -- I was wrong -- I shouldn''t have -- ''


    But before Quaid can finish pleading for mercy, the clean-cut girl takes advantage of it, and a slim


    left leg in short leather pants leaps up the bar, plummets down, and smashes Quaid in the neck!


    "Thunk!"


    There was a dull thud, and Quaid''s pitiful cry was cut short!


    For a moment there was silence.


    The next moment, the bar explodes with heckling:


    "Well done, little Yala! Not embarrassing the boss! ''


    "Ha-ha, this skill can dry the shit out of the end swordsman!"


    "I swear I saw it! Ten coppers, I bet, and she''s wearing black!"


    ''No, damn it! She''s wearing safety pants!"The drinkers around her returned to the toasting frenzy, dancing, crying and howling, one by one,


    to cheer and jeer Yala.


    ''Listen up!


    "Yala stared hard at the crushed Quaid.


    She stood on one foot behind the bar, her left leg pressed against it, her right hand clasped behind


    Quaid''s outstretched arm, revealing her slender figure.


    "You disgusting human skin gorilla!


    Calmly, the girl slowly pulled a weirdly shaped knife out of the holster of her left boot -- the blade


    and handle were out of line, and from a distance it looked like a Wolf''s leg.


    The knife fell straight into Quaid''s hand.


    "Thunk!


    The tip of the knife even nails into the bar!


    "Whoo!


    Quaid was crying with pain, but with his neck crushed he could only let out an ugly howl that


    resembled a pig''s bark.


    The drinkers got more agitated and the heckling got louder.


    Slowly lowering her upper body to reveal her perfect flexibility, Yala leaned close to Quaid''s


    weeping face and whistled disapprovingly, a dangerous grin.


    Her face was harsh and fierce, and in a voice full of rhythm and flavor, she uttered these chilling


    words:


    "Quaid Rhoda..."


    "I don''t care whose son you are, or what scrounger you are, or what black-ledger enforcer..."


    "But you fucking listen to me..."


    Yala slowly turned the handle of the knife.


    From finger to palm, Quaid, who had nowhere to complain about the pain, "whined" against the


    bar with his knee, to no avail."From now until the end of the world..."


    "If you ever show up in my bar again..."


    The girl with a cold face got the words out between her teeth:


    "I will put you, under, face, that, words, son..."


    "Piece by piece..."


    "Chopped into shreds..."


    "Mixed into wine..."


    "Mouthful by mouthful..."


    "Down it for you..."


    ''Do you understand? Wuss! "


    Only a few minutes later, as Quaid wailed out of the Sunset bar, protecting his punctured right palm,


    to the laughter of the drinkers and the scorn of Yala, did Yala clap her palms and wipe the blood


    from the Wolf leg knife with a look of disgust.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    It was as if, instead of blood, it had been smeared with demon slime.


    The drinkers were still Shouting excitedly about what had just happened, and many of them were


    still staring at the female bartender behind the bar, some with ulterior motives and lustful eyes.


    Yala looks back angrily and slashes her knife against the bar!


    ''What are you looking at!


    "Anyone who dares to look again will pay twice for the drink!"


    Peace was restored at the Sunset Bar.


    After a few harsh words had drawn the drinkers'' attention back from her, Yala threw the rag down


    viciously and went into the back kitchen.


    There, a young man in a top hat smiled at her and slapped his wrists.


    Yala snorted dismissively."Is that enough?


    "I made a point of mentioning his'' little ''thing, as you said."


    Yala grabbed a bottle of white wine, a utility knife suddenly appeared in her left hand, and neatly


    uncorked the bottle.


    ''Of course, of course, Miss Yala,'' she said.


    In the back kitchen, Naric, Quaid''s deputy and de facto manager of the begging business, gently


    lifted his black top hat and nodded with a smile.


    "Let''s hope he restraps himself a bit from now on -- the Brotherhood can''t keep wiping his ass,


    from drinking too much to abusing begging children without limit."


    "What you''re saying is, you can''t keep cleaning up for him." Yala throws her head back and slurps


    her drink smartly.


    Rick suddenly felt that this rude gesture was just right in Yala, fresh and inviting.


    It made him subconsciously swallow his throat.


    What a shame...


    "And that''s true, because the fraternity is my home, and what''s good for the fraternity is good for


    me." Rick smiled and involuntarily touched the back of his neck.


    "Are you sure this really works?"


    Yala scowled down the bottle:


    ''Why do I get the feeling that a man like him will go back and find more trouble? Like taking it out


    on your beggar son? ''


    You really know him, Rick thought.


    "I don''t know if it works, because I don''t know him either," Rick shook his head helplessly -- in what


    was already his trademark innocent and heartfelt gesture -- and said:


    "But lately, he''s stepped it up a notch. Three days ago, just for the sake of a few coins, he actually


    put a seedling that I am optimistic about... If the boy hadn''t been more clever, the future of the


    Brotherhood in Quaid''s hands would have been another one."Blimey.


    Yala rolled her eyes inside.


    Accountant, I had no idea you were so generous and righteous.


    "So I decided: This can''t go on. He has to be warned." At this point, Rick drops his hand touching


    the nape of his neck and his gaze becomes suddenly firm.


    "Otherwise, sooner or later, he''s going to ruin the business I''ve worked so hard for."


    Yala groaned and shook her head.


    "Well, well, you don''t have to explain to me so much ''I had to kill my boss''."


    "I didn''t say I was going to kill him..."


    "All right, all right, pay the fee. I only take cash." Yala impatiently interrupted Rick''s innocent plea.


    Yala finished the white wine languidly, stuck out her tongue and licked the last drop from the mouth


    of the bottle into her mouth.


    The gesture sent a jolt through Rick''s heart.


    She yawns and waves her hand to let Rick go.


    "Also, you still have to pay for the black pine he owes today."


    "Including those ''private goods'' you brought with you."


    Yala narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Rick as he took off his hat and walked away.


    Others may not recognize it, but I, Yala from the Sunset Bar, know it all...


    The so-called "black pine" you brought here today to "treat" Quaid to drink is actually banned


    Chaka spirits.


    It was drunk on the battlefields of the Western front, facing the Orcs, for shackled death-row


    prisoners before a suicide charge. It was not strong, but it was highly intoxicating.


    So, Nal Ric.


    Yala frowns at his back.Are you sure you have too much money to spend and you don''t really want to kill him?


    But...


    Well, forget it.


    Yala turned unconcerned.


    Scum fighting among themselves.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    As Quaid, full of shame, pain, and booze, returned to the great stone door in front of the


    abandoned house -- he did not live in the Black Street headquarters, and Quaid felt that anyone


    inside who knew anything about it looked as if they were staring at his lower body when they saw


    him -- two hurrying goons happened to pass behind the wall.


    "Have you heard? The beggars are carrying a rumor..."


    Their chatter spread far away.


    "They say that the Quaid Boss is not a man anymore..."


    Quaid''s giddy brain was confused.


    "What do you mean? Can he still be a woman? ''


    "Fool, that means Quaid has been castrated! Some years ago, while collecting bills in Carima Street,


    in one of the murder houses -- the one left by the Earl of Norfolk and his family after they were


    hanged -- something very strange happened..."


    ''They say a female ghost in red cut off his bottom, clean.''


    ''The Ghost in red? Ha ha ha, not some bitch he fucked... So he can''t now..."


    For a split second, Quaid felt the blood rush from all over his body to his head.


    The next moment, out of control, he was running from behind the wall, roaring!


    "Who is it! Who said so! What bastard!"


    Quaid grabs one of the beaters by the neck hard!


    "What bastard!"I''m going to kill him!"


    "The other enforcer took a few panicked steps back.


    The vindictive Quaid pinned the man to the ground, tightening his grip on his neck.


    Somehow, at that moment, the pain from his punctured hand was no longer there, but a faint


    numbness and irritation.


    It left Quaid free to think about something else.


    Back in the day...


    He was, after all, the famous head of the Brotherhood''s enforcers, and the best in the class.


    In the lower town, he was mobbed everywhere he went.


    Edeleonza, the Talon brothers, Leyok, the famous thugs of the brotherhood, were only his


    descendants.


    Did not even great men like Morris and Lancer talk with him in a pleasant way?


    Who dared laugh at him then?


    Then, he believed that he would one day take over his father''s business and rise to a higher place


    in the fraternity...


    Even... Close to what even my father feared... The man.


    But now...


    Now...


    Quaid looked at his frightened enforcers and his words kept ringing in his head.


    So now he couldn''t...


    Not anymore...


    No more...


    Quaid fought back the tears in his eyes and let out a wild howl in his throat -- his father had told


    him with a whip that if he could not bear sorrow and pain, he should simply turn them into anger and hatred.


    Sure enough, his father was right.


    At that moment, the wine rose, but Quaid felt himself more sober than ever.


    It was as if all the hate and anger in his body had turned into unquenchable strength.


    "Boss Quaid, it was all a rumor, we didn''t believe it... Aaah!"


    Quaid, like a beast, jerked his head up!


    The other enforcer, who was trembling in his defense, took a step back.


    But he immediately saw that the other partner had turned pale, with more air coming out and less


    air coming in.


    The retreating enforcer met the Quaid''s fierce light, his face full of fear:


    "Ah, yes, it is all the rumours spread by those beggars, boss, it is really not our fault, you, you ask


    those beggars to know!"


    "Ka-ching!" It''s the sound of a broken neck.


    The enforcer who had been strangled by Quaid was out of air.


    The rest of the beater was shaking all over.


    Slowly, Quaid rose from the ground, his eyes full of murder.


    The enforcer, seeing the trouble, screamed and rolled and crawled away.


    Quaid tries to give chase, but he chases around a corner only to find that the man has disappeared.


    Dammit.


    He took two hard breaths, turned back to look at the dead bodies in the alley, felt restless, kicked


    several more times, and then shook his head and walked toward two dozen abandoned houses.


    Quaid did not ponder why the enforcers on patrol tonight had not shown up at all - it was necessary


    to keep an eye on the beggar.


    He just had something going on in his head.Just trying to find the people who laughed at him.


    Then.


    One by one...


    Torture them to death.


    Having just killed someone, Quaid feels like a long-lost chain has been opened from his brain.


    It was as if he had gone back to the old days of making a living by knife.


    These damn thieves, he thought viciously, if they dare to spread rumors...


    You''ll pay for it.


    Fucking thieves.


    He gasped, feeling that his strength and his will had not been stronger in a long time.


    Trembling, the escaping enforcer climbed out of the large stone door of the abandoned house and


    ran into Rick under the trees outside.


    "Mr. Rick!


    The enforcer sees Rick as if he''s met his savior:


    "Boss Quaid - Quaid he''s crazy! Don''t you say, don''t you say just rub it in his face and threaten to


    blow him off... And then, before we''d even finished talking, Quaid was... Pearson, he..."


    The enforcer was so out of breath with fear that he couldn''t speak clearly.


    ''You mean, Pearson? He, he was given by the Quaid..." Rick looked taken aback.


    After receiving confirmation that the goon was crying, Rick shook his head sadly:


    "It was my fault."


    "I thought Quaid was going to... There''s nothing to be done. You close the big stone gate, lock


    Quaid in the scrap room, then prepare the carriage, and we''ll go at once. ''


    ''All right, Mr. Rick, where are we going?


    ''To the main station. Find Boss Morris.''The frightened enforcer nodded his head when he heard he was leaving.


    He did not even think about what to do with the beggars in the abandoned house.


    Rick''s face suddenly turned serious as the thugs threw themselves at the stone door, laboriously


    closing the double iron doors and then locking them in.


    Now Quaid would go looking for beggars, but there were only a few dozen of them... One of them


    must be what the ghost wants.


    I have moved up today''s sleep time, it is not very late.


    Quaid had half the night to take care of the beggars.


    As for what he wants to do with the punching bags, that''s all the ghost, the damned stalker, cares


    about.


    If he was interested in begging children, he wouldn''t sit back and watch.


    Rick thought, staring at the door of the abandoned house.


    He will no longer have time to find himself.


    If he had come for some beggar, he would have killed Quaid.


    Then the Brotherhood of Black Street would take over tomorrow -- Rhoda, Morris, even someone


    of Black Sword''s rank would take care of him and be out of trouble.


    If he''s here to kill a beggar, he''ll probably watch Quaid continue to do so -- which is a good bet,


    since his father was in prison, Rick has often told himself, never underestimate how inglous a noble


    house is.


    Then the ghost will have achieved his goal, and his troubles will be solved naturally -- the


    Brotherhood will find only the mad boss Quaid the next morning, the tired deputy Rick, the


    miserable beggars, and of course, the ghost who got his wish and the important people behind


    him...


    Rick thought with satisfaction:


    Anyway, the trouble, the big man''s problem, the coldness at the back of his neck, will be solved


    tonight.


    Without a shadow of repercussion.Otherwise, one day, the ghost who can''t find a purpose will find himself.


    Rick did not think that the lackeys of these big families would be good-natured, and he did not


    think that after meeting each other, he would be able to see the sun the next day intact.


    So there had to be another safe, unsuspecting scapegoat to puncture the ghost''s intentions and


    put an end to the whole mess.


    Master Quaid, this is your trouble again!


    Rick thought faintly.


    For the last time, of course.


    Well, yes, I may have been killed for failing to watch me, but compared with my life and future...


    Rick sighed, a little pity and regret flowing through his heart.


    Too bad this bunch of scroungers, that Tyles guy, that Karak guy.


    I''ll be praying for you.


    I will also cover the burial and the aftermath of the victims.


    This moved Rick:


    Even in the dark, at least he has a bottom line.


    At least Narrick''s humanity hasn''t been lost.


    Isn''t it?


    At this moment, the lucky goons came from a distance.


    "Don''t worry, it''s all right."


    Rick walked over to the wagon and nodded at him, offering an encouraging and comforting smile.


    "I''ve got you."


    The next moment, he pulled the miniature retractable crossbow out of his arms and fired the bolt,


    infused with the poison of cranberry, precisely into his startled gaping mouth.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    When Rick made a decision that would never be known to the world, but which would still


    profoundly affect the fate of the kingdom, the scroungers in the Sixth Room, led by Tyles by the


    fire they had so labored to build, counted the day''s harvest.


    "The woman in black gave eight coppers. I heard her youngest son had recently died of typhoid.


    No wonder she was so generous."


    ''Milala, with her floppy ears, gave us all the pennies left over from her grocery shopping... Oh, only


    two. ''


    With a smile on his face, Sinti counted out the coins one by one and piled them on his left hand.


    Tyers nodded, grabbed a sharp stone, and marked the word "positive" on the ground.


    "The skinny guy in the highland boots wouldn''t give the money, so Lane and I just gave him a little


    lesson."


    Kellett reached for a card and looked agonizingly at the words:


    "But this was all he had in his arms, and I don''t know what it was for."


    "It''s a key to the National Institute for Research, the Great Brilliant Library, five blocks uptown,"


    Tyles said after examining the card.


    "That thin fellow must be a scholar from the college. I don''t know if he''s a bachelor from the college


    or a priest from the church, but he''s probably a writer, judging by his poor state."


    "Wow! Tyles, you know the words on it!" Coria and Ned both looked adoring at Tyles.


    "How can it be!


    Tyles shrugged, vaguely reading the hopes and longings in the children''s eyes:


    "Nobody taught us how to read and count... I didn''t know until I saw the book logo on the back of


    the card. ''


    But, Tyers thought, yes, he was already trying to teach himself how to write.


    Such as "Sunset Bar," "Grove Pharmacy," "National Research Association" signs, and his vague


    memory also gave him a mysterious respect and worship for knowledge, to miss every opportunity


    to learn and accumulate.It is difficult for those who have never experienced it to understand... To be able to sit freely in


    front of the desk to absorb the wisdom of the predecessors -- Tyers raised dusty hands, looked at


    the above because of hard work and premature wear of cocoon, and touch the belly that is not full,


    sighed -- really is a kind of happiness.


    Tyles had no memory of his time travel.


    Rather, the memories that preceded the time travel only emerged bit by bit as Tyles grew and his


    brain and spirit formed.


    His memories of two and three years old are scattered and sparse, like those of a real two year old,


    only a thick -- he doesn''t know why the color could be described as "thick" -- blood red, a black


    stone room filled with the cries of a baby, a skinny woman.


    Only later did he learn that it was Bess, the "widow with a black heart", the head woman in charge


    of raising new children in the fraternity.


    Tyers was sent to the junked house at age three, and since then, memories of his past lives have


    come back to him, most frequently, sitting at a desk, looking back and forth between books and


    screens, or in a classroom, discussing something with a dozen young people in different costumes,


    or with a middle-aged or elderly professor.


    But that was already illusory.


    For four years, Tyers had managed to keep the sixth house of beggars alive through a life of beatings,


    bullying, darkness, sin and death for the beggars downtown.


    Four years of panhandling gave Tyers a lot of new skills compared to his previous life as a graduate


    student with a bigger brain than his body:


    Sympathetic acting, stealthy pickpocketing, clever, unsentimental observation.


    Along the way, Tyles does a lot more than scrummaging, such as cultivating relationships with


    different classes of people -- downtown, different classes, "presumably" different classes of the


    lower class."


    Such as sneaking frat secrets, arranging secret locations, hiding some inventory from superiors --


    Quaid was right about that.


    Yes, Tyles wasn''t prepared to accept the fate the world had given him.


    He''s not going to be an honest beggar, a frat beater or a thief, and he''s not interested in playing


    "Gangsters" in Star City.He''s running away.


    Then, live his life and be a...


    A free man.


    At least more free than they are now.


    Just step by step, with your own plan... Tyers looked to the corner of the room, where there was


    an unremarkable SLATE.


    I could...


    Be able to


    Right now.


    From the seventeenth room next door, there was a sudden exclamation, mixed with fear and panic:


    "No! Kara!"


    Soon, Tyles will learn the most important lesson of his post-time travel:


    Accidents, they happen suddenly.

 Chapter 5: The Crazy Quaid

    The Ruined House wasn''t really a single house. It was the name of a place in Eternal Star City. It was in the second district of the lower city, right next to the well - known Black Street. The whole area was about the size of a street.


    Thales heard from the old - timers in the Brotherhood that the Ruined House was said to be funded by the royal court of the Star Kingdom over a hundred years ago. It used to have a nice name (but no one remembers it now, probably only the city hall has the records). Back then, it was full of ordinary but bustling citizens of the kingdom''s capital.


    At some point, the Ruined House became a place where gangs would meet, negotiate, and sometimes fight.


    So, those lively neighborhood houses, along with blood, swords, and axes, became empty, leaving only stone walls and brick tiles.


    It''s said that it was once used as a dumping ground for corpses. So much so that even now, children growing up happily in the sunshine of the capital city are told, ¡°If you don''t behave, I''ll send you to the Ruined House.¡± The reputation of the Ruined House is only second to the dreaded Black Street.


    When the Black Street Brotherhood rose up and took control of the underground world in the lower city, the Ruined House was used as the base camp for the Brotherhood''s beggar business in the city.


    To make management easier and prevent the beggars from escaping at night, besides having thugs watch each house, the Brotherhood dug a trench around the Ruined House that was ten feet wide and fifteen feet deep. It was filled with sharpened stakes and rusty nails, and there was only a stone door in the front of the Ruined House that could be locked with a big lock.


    Rumor has it that after countless corpses and attempts, someone finally dug a secret passage in the deep trench and escaped. But at least in the four years that Thales has been in the Ruined House, no beggar has been able to find that legendary secret passage. Instead, as the Brotherhood''s business expanded, the number of corpses in the deep trench increased every year.


    It''s said that every year some ungrateful kids would try to escape across the deep ditch, so the Brotherhood also has to clear the ditch of corpses once a year.


    As the name implies, the Ruined House is a collection of long - abandoned stone houses, twenty - three in total (there were more before. Some collapsed in the gang wars years ago, and some were demolished by the Brotherhood to dig the trench). They are irregularly located behind a large stone gate, some are far apart, and some are close together.


    Lucky beggars were assigned to ruined houses with wells. Unlucky ones, like Thales'' House Six, had to fetch water from other houses to fill their water tanks - and this usually wasn''t for free.


    The source of water and food also often caused fights among the beggars. Take the water tank in House Six, for example. Thales got it in the second year after he arrived at the Ruined House. He made a deal with House Seventeen next door to fetch water for them once a week.


    Before that, they - Ned and Kolya weren''t here then. It was just Cinty, Ryan, Kellett, and two other beggars who are no longer alive - had problems even getting drinking water.


    And now Thales and the others heard the screams from their ¡°leader,¡± Diego, in the next - door House Seventeen. Thales remembered smashing a rock over Diego''s head when they were fighting for water. His screams were much the same then as they are now.


    ¡°Kara! Someone come! We didn''t! Not us!¡±


    Diego''s screams seemed miserable and panicked.


    So much so that the beggars in House Six, including Thales, didn''t react for a moment.


    But Thales, after all, had the memories of his past life. His first instinct was to shoo everyone in the yard back into the ragged hole in the house - a decision Thales regretted for a long time afterward.


    Thales himself glanced at the nondescript slab in the corner of the house and hid under the wall opposite House Seventeen, staring dead in the face at a dog - hole connecting House Seventeen to House Six. Back in the day, it was a symbol of the alliance between the children of the two houses.


    ¡°What happened to Diego and the others? A fight?¡± Ned asked curiously as he ducked away.


    Beggars weren''t all friendly with each other. A house as harmonious as House Six was not the majority in the Ruined House.


    Many of the injuries and even deaths of the beggars, except for those caused by Quaid, were actually caused by the beggars themselves. Children under the age of ten didn''t know how to control their strength. Like two of Thales'' previous roommates who passed away before Ned and Kolya arrived.


    But House Seventeen was kind of a special case in the Ruined House. Diego was a brown - skinned, small - eyed, yellow - haired kid with a big, stubborn grin. At nine and a half years old, he seemed more like a leader than either Sinti or Thales. At least the beggars in House Seventeen listened to him, which made the water - fighting between House Six and House Seventeen that year keep flaring up.


    ¡°It doesn''t look like a fight. Is another house bullying Diego and the others? It must be Karak from House Ten! He loves to bully the others!¡± Kellett said sharply as if she had figured something out.


    ¡°Then we need to hurry up and go help! We did agree with them to help each other!¡±


    Crippled Ryan sniffed and was about to run out of the ragged hole and head for the dog - hole, but before the moonlight hit him halfway, Ryan was hauled back by a handful of Thales.


    ¡°Don''t be in a hurry, it''s not Karak! It''s something else!¡± Thales'' face was stony as he listened to the screams next door.


    ¡°No, Diego!¡±


    With a dull thud, like some sandbag being thrown against the wall, but this time it came from another child, Ensola, crying.


    Thales remembered the eight - year - old from back in the day when the fight for the water was going on. Ensola had stood by Diego''s side with his lips pursed tightly.


    When the two sides started to fight, it was also his dead - hold on Sinti''s thigh, not letting him get close to the struggle between Diego and Thales. If not for Thales attacking Diego''s knee joints violently and picking up a stone with a quick eye, whether House Six would have a fixed source of water to drink today is still unknown.


    ¡°Something''s wrong!¡±


    Being the biggest child in the house, the doubt on Sinti''s face gradually turned into gravity. In House Six, Sinti was the clever child who worked most happily and tacitly with Thales. He spent most of his time in silence, but whenever he opened his mouth to speak, it was either something important or a crucial word.


    Soon the puzzlement and stony faces of the children all turned to horror.


    ¡°Beg for mercy! You beg for mercy! Go on ah! I love to hear you people beg for mercy!¡±


    A muffled but frantic voice came from next door.


    Every beggar in the abandoned house would never forget this voice. It was worse than the devil in hell for them - at least the devil wouldn''t break the beggar''s bones inch by inch, or slice open his face, or dip him head - first in a tank of water and call it ¡°quenching your thirst¡± (the devil really wouldn''t do that. At least the beggar doesn''t know).


    It''s Quaid.


    Quaid Rhoda, the Beggar Leader of the Black Street Brotherhood and the Beggar''s nightmare and scourge.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°NO! Boss Quaid! We were wrong! We - ahhhh -¡±


    ¡°Let''s see if you guys still dare to talk nonsense! Dare to call me names behind my back! Dammit! The red - haired woman! Dammit! Bald head! Goddamn it! Yara Sariton! Damn you all!¡±


    As Quaid cursed, already somewhat deliriously, there was a flurry of blows from next door, sometimes fists, sometimes rocks, sometimes the sound of a human body colliding with a wall.


    ¡°Help! Help! Diego! Kara! Marita! You guys get up! Help me!¡±


    ¡°Run! Run towards-- uh--¡±


    ¡°Jesus! Where are the guards! Where''s Mr. Rick! Jesus! He''s going to kill us, he''s going to kill us all -¡±


    ¡°No! No!¡±


    Heartbreaking cries, too, came from more than one person''s mouth, and the ruined house in the moonlight actually looked alarming to Thales'' eyes at the moment!


    It took Thales three seconds to react to what, exactly, Quaid was doing.


    He jerked his head around and looked at everyone in House Six. Ned and Kolya were shivering in the hole in the wall, and Ryan, who had just had to rush out to help, was stunned.


    Kellett and Sinti weren''t much better. The former''s eager, fearful gaze went back and forth between the few, trying to speak but unable to, while the latter was pale and staring at Thales dead in the face.


    ¡°Bang! Bang! Bang! Khala!¡±


    ¡°You damned scum! Even you dare to mock me! Mocking ''Bloodaxe'' Quaid Rhoda! Even you all dare to -¡±


    ¡°Haha, you guys scream! Why don''t you scream? Scream for me!¡±


    The frantic roaring and howls of agony paralleled in his ears, accompanied by a shattering sound that everyone didn''t want to think about deeply.


    Thales knew panic was spreading like crazy in the sixth house right now. He was really racking his brain, trying to figure out what the situation was all about.


    Quaid was really beating the beggars in the seventeenth house hard. No, looking at Quaid and how often and how hard he was punching, this wasn''t just about him getting rid of his anger tonight!


    And even though Quaid was a real jerk, he wouldn''t usually go after an entire house of beggars all at once. But where the heck was Rick? And where were the guards and those patrolling thugs in the ruined house? The houses were separated by stone walls, so they might not hear each other, but those thugs walking around outside should definitely be able to hear all this noise!


    Thales, of course, didn''t know that the number of guards at the ruined house had been cut down to just two guys tonight, and what''s more, those two thugs hadn''t come back at all.


    ¡°Thales, what... what are we gonna do?¡± Sinti asked, his voice a bit shaky. Listening to the horror next door, he just knew something was really wrong. His pale face was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and he just had to ask Thales for an answer.


    ¡°Everyone, keep quiet! Not a sound! We...¡± Thales frowned, trying hard to come up with a plan. But before he could finish, he saw a figure squeezing out of the dog - hole between the sixth and seventeenth houses.


    Coria let out a little scream of fear.


    Thales had sharp eyes. He could tell right away that it was Ensola who had crawled out from the seventeenth house, and his head was covered in blood.


    Ensola seemed like he was on the verge of losing his mind. Before Thales could even help him up, Ensola gasped and just dropped to the ground, not caring at all about the blood all over his head.


    ¡°Run! Let''s get out of here! Hurry up...¡±


    Thales and Sinti quickly moved to help him up, but the howls and yells from next door were still going on. Ensola seemed out of it. No matter how much they asked, he just kept muttering ¡°Run!¡± with a really scared look on his face.


    It wasn''t until Thales slapped him that he seemed to come to his senses.


    ¡°What on earth happened? Did Quaid come to take his anger out?¡±


    Ensola''s eyes filled with tears.


    ¡°Qui... Quaid, he''s gone nuts! He''s... we''re not the only ones. He''s going to go after every house, one by one. He...¡±


    Ensola was babbling, but the beggars in the sixth house got the picture. Their six little faces turned as white as sheets, and even Thales felt a shiver of fear go down his spine.


    ¡°He was beating people as soon as he saw them, beating them until they were broken. I heard a scream and went out to peek. I saw Quaid dragging Larry from the third house out. There was blood everywhere... Then he saw me...¡±


    ¡°He grabbed Kara, threw her to the ground. Diego tried to stop him, and... and then he just kept punching. Diego didn''t move. And Marita, Quaid was pushing her towards the fire... that bonfire...¡±


    Thales felt his scalp tingle.


    It wasn''t that he hadn''t seen Quaid beat people before, but usually, someone would stop him before he killed someone. And as for whether those kids who got beaten were left disabled, no one in the Brotherhood really cared.


    ¡°The third house is done for. Now it''s our turn. He was just beating up Midland. I don''t know how many more houses he''s going to hit...¡±


    Just as Ensola, who was crying and talking at the same time, was about to finish, Thales quickly covered his mouth.¡¢


    That''s when everyone realized that the cries and yells from next door had stopped. The seventeenth house was dead quiet, like all the kids in there had fallen into a deep sleep.


    Only a faint, ragged breath could be heard, still coming out slowly.


    No one needed to be told what that meant.


    In the sixth house, almost all the kids started shaking.


    Just then, Thales quickly turned his head and whispered, ¡°Listen, we''re almost...¡±


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    There was a loud crash as the door to the sixth house was kicked open.


    In the doorway, Quaid''s wobbly figure slowly walked in. His fierce, sneering face was looking straight at the seven shivering kids.


    ¡°Run? Where you gonna run? Huh, you... you look kind of familiar...¡±


    Everyone in the sixth house was stunned, and Thales was no exception.


    Quaid rubbed his nose. Thales could see that his face was bright red, like he was really drunk.


    And his hands were dark red.


    That was the color of blood.


    Quaid stared at Thales, who was still covering Ensola''s mouth, for a moment.


    ¡°I... I remember you!¡±


    The look on his face kept changing. It slowly turned from a sneer to pure hatred.


    ¡°You''re the one, that little brat who got caught by that bald guy...¡±


    ¡°It was you! You must be the one who laughed at me behind my back and talked trash about me! Right?¡±


    ¡°It must be you...¡±


    ¡°It must be you!¡±


    Thales'' heart sank.


    ---------- --------


    Rick was trying his best to stay calm as he carefully drove the wagon. He reached back and touched the back of his neck.


    Thank goodness, everything seemed normal.


    That ¡°ghost¡± hadn''t showed up.


    Probably too busy dealing with Quaid''s mess.


    Up ahead, the big house of the Black Street Brotherhood''s headquarters was getting closer.


    Rick let out a soft sigh of relief.


    ¡°Accountant!¡±


    Layoc''s voice came from over there. He was the Brotherhood''s assassin, calling out to Rick from about twenty feet away.


    Layoc''s face showed up in the distance, kind of in the light of a torch. He sounded annoyed as he asked, ¡°What are you doing here at this time? This is a dangerous business! You think you can just jump in with your number - crunching hands?¡±


    Rick was a bit shocked. As the wagon moved forward, he saw that the small square in front of the big house was filled with torches, their shadows dancing.


    There were people standing there quietly, and every single one of them had a piece of black cloth tied on them.


    That black cloth was the Brotherhood''s sign.


    There were at least a few hundred of them.


    Rick suddenly realized that almost all the people from the Black Street headquarters were here.


    Rick quickly leaned over and got out of the wagon, took a few quick steps, and by the light of the moon, saw that his boss, the fat Maurice, who was also the big shot in the human - trafficking business in Winged Star City, was talking about something with a few other people with different shapes - a two - meter - tall yellow - haired giant, a mysterious guy in dark red robes, and a big, fat, simple - looking guy. They were having a discussion.


    Rick was really surprised.


    He recognized that they were some other big shots from the guild.


    There were even a couple of bigwigs who usually didn''t live in Wingstar City.


    Walking through a line of black - cloth - wearing thugs who were all heavily armed, getting their gear ready from axes, short swords, daggers, to nail - covered clubs, Riker walked right up to Layyork.


    ¡°Layoc, nice to see you - forget it, I won''t beat around the bush - what''s going on tonight?¡±


    Riker didn''t like Layoc, and Layoc didn''t like Riker either. They just kept running into each other because of their jobs, and there was an unspoken understanding between them about that.


    But here, the person who knew the most about what was going on inside and who could answer quickly was Leyork.


    ¡°Didn''t the boss tell you?¡±


    Leyork sneered and looked at him.


    ¡°The old rule is that when we''re up against the Blood Bottle Gang, we can use any weapon except magic energy guns and infantry strong crossbows...¡±


    The assassin, who was known for being efficient and ruthless, held up the scimitar that was hanging on the back of his waist, as if checking how sharp the sheath was.


    Rick''s heart jumped: dealing with the Blood Bottle Gang...


    The assassin took a deep breath and then playfully licked his lips.


    ¡°Tonight, we''re taking Red Square Street!¡±


    ---------- ---------


    ¡°Still no word from Yoder? What about the Sunset Temple side?¡±


    The middle - aged nobleman with gray hair asked in front of the fireplace, facing a fancy chair, with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°Be patient, my friend. We''ve waited for twelve years. A little longer won''t hurt.¡±


    The big, strong - looking guy got up from the chair and picked up a scepter covered with bright blue crystals. If you looked closely, you could see that the crystals were actually flickering slowly but regularly, with little star - like flashes.


    ¡°Our wild guessing here is just doubting Yoder''s abilities. Besides, he has the sub - flame of that lamp, right? I think he''s close to his target and just making the final check.¡± The big guy said slowly.


    The middle - aged nobleman bowed deeply.


    ¡°It''s not that I doubt Yoder''s ability, and I''ve never thought he was disloyal. It''s just that...¡± he paused and sighed, ¡°...Yoder is too calm, too cold. Compared to his absolute loyalty, he doesn''t care about anything else, just like he was twelve years ago. And I''m worried that he...¡±


    The middle - aged nobleman didn''t finish, and the big guy didn''t answer right away.


    The big guy carried his scepter and walked to the floor - to - ceiling window, looking out at the distance, at the big shrine that was all lit up and looking really magnificent.


    Not even the moonlight could compare to that brightness.


    ¡°Then go and get ready. Go to the temple secretly right away. Leave as soon as you get news, don''t wait for Yoder''s signal.¡±

 Chapter 6 First Blood

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    <div>


    Bloodlines however are honoured by kings.

 Chapter 7: Escape plan

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    They were now in the cellar of the Sunset Bar, and the three beggars, with the exception of Thales, were fidgeting, leaning against the sacks that held their food, nibbling hard but hard at the white bread in their hands-they hadn''t had such good food in a long time.


    A little away from them, Thales sat on a barrel twice his height, staring flatly ahead at the languid but sultry Yara Sariton with her arms clasped over her chest and one leg against the wall.


    In a previous life, Thales would probably have had to hold an admiring gaze, seeing her in detail from head to toe, and then look up at the sky, marveling at the beauty of the world as he reminisced.


    Huh? What would Thales do after that, you ask? Nonsense, go home and do what he had to do, of course.


    As for now - sorry, this body is still young.


    ¡°Straight up, why did you come to me.¡± Yara still had that cold demeanor, opening the door and getting straight to the point.


    But Thales had gotten used to it, ever since he''d first met the then 16 or 17 year old ¡°big sister¡± four years ago in the trash behind the Sunset Bar, she''d always had the same tone and style.


    He knew that''s how she was.


    ¡°Quaid went crazy and he killed almost half of the beggars in the junkyard.¡±


    Thales said with a grimace, while silently clenching his fists.


    He-fucking-it.


    Yara had a vague suspicion about what had happened earlier today from the moment she saw the bruised and battered beggars.


    Yala''s face didn''t move, but in her heart, she began to curse Rick, this bookkeeper, I knew you didn''t have good intentions when you filled Quaid with Chaka wine.


    Why did I agree to him for those ten gold coins? Ten gold coins, ten gold coins!


    Ten gold coins for something that''s sure to offend the Brotherhood - he should have been charged at least twenty!


    And--


    ¡°There''s no one coming to stop him or save us, we''ll just have to escape on our own.¡± Thales said in a grim mood, as the scene from a few hours ago seemed to reappear.


    --And, alas, half a beggar.


    Yara closed her eyes and sighed.


    ¡°I know, you guys can hide here for a day. Don''t worry, that gorilla won''t dare to come with me around, and if he does, I''ll chop off that - ahem - his hand underneath him.¡±


    Yara glanced at the other three beggars and frowned, recognizing which were fresh wounds, especially the child whose right hand was wrapped in cloth.


    ¡°When Edmund gets back, I''ll have him go to Riker and the people up there. He can''t get away with what Quaid did - the guy, why didn''t he die sooner.¡±


    A little disinterested, Yara lowered her legs against the wall and stood up.


    Thales'' eyes darkened as he looked at the three beggars, letting out a deep breath before looking over at Yara.


    ¡°The Brotherhood had a big mission today, that''s why the guards and patrols were lax, I guess. For you guys to have escaped, you must have- ugh, never mind, I''ll get the medicine, and if I need a doctor too- wait, kiddo, what''s wrong with you?¡±


    Yara was talking to herself when she suddenly realized that something wasn''t quite right with Thales on the opposite side of the room, his body was also covered in bruises, the clothes on his chest were torn to pieces, and his right sleeve was even splattered with blood.


    No, the look in this brat''s eyes-


    Yara suddenly walked up to Thales and dragged him off the keg, then squatted down, holding Thales'' shoulders with both hands and looking him straight in the eyes.


    Yara''s eyes suddenly became serious and urgent.


    ¡°Kid - you, did you?¡±


    Thales was a little afraid to look Yara in the eyes, but in just a few seconds he adjusted himself and then looked up with determination.


    Thales heard his own voice ring out calmly as usual, without a tremor.


    ¡°Yara, Quaid was slaughtered by me.¡±

 Chapter 8: JC

    Five hours ago, Lobic Dilla, who had just turned forty - three, held the esteemed position of First - Class Alert Chief within the City Defense Force. He was at the helm of the Western City Alert Hall, shouldering the crucial responsibility of safeguarding the western expanse of Everstar City.


    Under his command were twenty patrol teams, a veritable army of alert officers spread throughout the hall, and a vast array of civilian staff, all of whom awaited his every directive. There were over a hundred police officers, decked out in the latest riot - control gear: electric batons crackling with potential, mini - crossbows primed for action, anti - charge shields standing firm, and fog bombs and thunderstorm bombs at the ready. Nearly three hundred high - caliber soldiers were armed with fearsome demon - slaying swords, their blades glinting with menace, arc - light shields that seemed to hold back the very darkness, Yongxin armors offering impenetrable protection, and energy - breaking crossbow arrows designed to pierce through any obstacle. And let''s not forget the twenty End Swordsmen, the elite of the elite, leading the patrol teams with unrivaled skill and authority. All of this formidable force answered solely to Lobic.


    For a man hailing from a lower - noble lineage¡ªhis father being nothing more than a humble lord in Kella County, nestled in the western reaches of the kingdom¡ªthis was an extraordinary feat. If not for his strategic alliance with the powerful Kevindill family, ascending to the rank of Western City Alert Chief in Everstar City, the beating heart of the kingdom, at such a relatively young age would have been an impossible dream. However, within this seemingly advantageous relationship, where he had sworn fealty to the Kevindill family in exchange for his lofty position, there lurked a rather significant drawback.


    The patrol area under his jurisdiction in Everstar City was composed of six distinct districts. Three of them formed the Western Ring, while the other three made up the Lower City. And these were no ordinary districts. Oh no, they were the very epicenter of the ceaseless and brutal struggle between the Blood Flask Gang and the Black Street Brotherhood. A "minor inconvenience," one might say? Hardly. In truth, it was more like a curse that had befallen him. By the grace of the king, this was a stroke of misfortune so colossal that it threatened to swallow him whole.


    Oh, and let''s not overlook the fact that he was also tasked with overseeing the patrols and maintaining street safety in front of the Western City Gate. This was a responsibility that came with its own set of unwritten rules, as imparted by his white - haired predecessor during the handover. His predecessor had warned him, "You must impress upon your men that even when leading a detachment from the barracks, making their way through the Western Ring District and the xc District en route to the Western City Gate (and mind you, my dear fellow, the Western City Gate was, in my view, the only place worthy of our patrol efforts, and the only location where our law - enforcement prowess was truly needed)¡ª"


    "For the sake of your financial well - being, when traversing the three districts of the Western Ring, be unfailingly polite and amicable. Keep your eyes averted from any minor transgressions.


    For the sake of your very life, when passing through the three districts of the Lower City, be as vigilant as a hunted animal. Every step should be taken with the utmost caution.


    For the sake of your hard - earned position, when arriving at the Western City Gate, be the very picture of diligence and energy. Let your presence command respect and instill confidence."


    It didn''t take Lobic long to fathom the reasoning behind these words.


    The Blood Flask Gang, firmly entrenched in the three districts of the Western Ring, had a history that stretched back for generations. Their roots ran deep, and their connections to the upper echelons of the court were as murky as the depths of an ancient swamp. They regularly greased the palms of the City Defense Force with substantial amounts of "tribute money." Thus, for the sake of their wallets, the police were expected to maintain a cordial and cooperative relationship with the denizens of the Western Ring. It was a delicate dance of turning a blind eye to certain activities while maintaining a semblance of law and order.


    On the other hand, the Black Street Brotherhood, firmly ensconced in the Lower City, was a force to be reckoned with. They were ruthless, their actions driven by a madness that bordered on the demonic. Half of the unsolved criminal cases in the entire kingdom could be traced back to their shadowy operations. They had no qualms about taking on the authorities, and their reputation for violence preceded them. So, for the sake of their lives, when venturing into the xc District, the police had to be constantly on guard, their senses heightened, and their movements swift. It was a dangerous game, one where a single misstep could prove fatal.


    The Western City Gate, on the other hand, was the face of Everstar City to the outside world. It was the gateway through which foreign dignitaries, nobles of all ranks, temple administrators, and adventurers from far - flung lands entered the city. This bustling thoroughfare was a hotbed of activity, rife with diplomatic intrigues, noble power struggles, religious rivalries, and civil unrest. It was also a place under the watchful eye of the most powerful figures in the court. Thus, for the sake of his position, when on duty at the Western City Gate, Lobic had to be the epitome of fairness, strictness, and dedication. He was to enforce the law with an iron fist, all in the name of serving the people.


    In the three years since Chief Lobic had assumed command of the Alert Hall, the toll of his responsibilities had been evident. Half of his hair had turned a stark white, and three new wrinkles had etched themselves onto his forehead. His erratic work schedule meant that he often returned home at odd hours, much to the chagrin of his wife, who frequently expressed her displeasure by giving him the cold shoulder in their marital bed. It was a situation that was all too understandable, given the circumstances.


    At this very moment, Lobic sat at his desk, his gaze fixed on the moonlit scene outside the window. A deep furrow creased his brow, a clear sign of his inner turmoil. He had no desire to be working overtime on this particular night, but a powerful figure had issued a directive, leaving him with no choice.


    Moreover, his current source of anxiety was not the work itself, but rather the young and impetuous man standing before him.


    Korn Karabyan, a mere twenty - five years old, had recently been promoted to the position of patrol team leader just two months prior. His combat skills were truly remarkable, standing out even among the ranks of the End Swordsmen. (If only he could manage to defeat that infuriatingly talented Miranda, he often mused.) His family background was respectable, though he often joked, "Alas, old man, if only your title were that of king. Then I could be a prince¡ªouch! Why''d you hit me?" He also boasted a military experience that was rare among young nobles. After his rather sudden discharge from the army (which he protested vehemently, exclaiming, "Damn old man! I never signed any discharge papers! You must have pulled some strings¡ªouch! Why''d you hit me again?"), he had quickly risen to become the top - performing ace of the twenty patrol teams in the Western City Alert Hall. ("They all say it''s because of my father, but you know better, old man. I''m just that good¡ªhey, if you hit me again, I''m really going to lose my temper!")


    At present, Korn stood before Lobic, his officer''s cap perched neatly on his head. A few strands of his lustrous blond hair peeked out from beneath the brim, adding to his already charming appearance. His blue meteor uniform, expertly tailored to fit his muscular yet well - proportioned frame, accentuated his physical prowess. His black marching boots, polished to a non - reflective sheen, completed the look, making him a veritable heartthrob. With his ruggedly handsome face, he was undoubtedly the talk of the town among the noble ladies of the capital.


    Chief Lobic couldn''t help but indulge in a moment of wistful thinking. If only he were twenty years younger and had been transferred to Everstar City earlier, perhaps he too would have been the object of adoration for the fairer sex. Alas, those were but fleeting daydreams.


    For the young and heroic Korn was in the midst of an impassioned speech, earnestly presenting his views to Chief Lobic. His hand thumped resolutely against his chest, as if to emphasize the depth of his conviction.


    "Sir, in conclusion, I firmly believe that it is ill - advised to withdraw the garrison forces from Red Square Street, especially tonight. There is a high likelihood of a violent clash between the Blood Flask Gang and the Black Street Brotherhood. Additionally, I''ve received intelligence from my informants that the Black Street Brotherhood is congregating in front of their main headquarters¡ª"


    "You have informants in the Black Street?" Chief Lobic interrupted, yawning.


    "Indeed, sir. It''s no easy feat to plant informants among those fanatics in the Brotherhood," Korn replied, scratching his head sheepishly and flashing a boyish grin. "But with my exceptional intelligence - gathering skills¡ª"


    "Fool! Are you out of your mind?"


    Chief Lobic''s sudden outburst was like a thunderclap, shattering the calm. Miss Jora, the stunning red - haired secretary, who was passing by the door with a stack of documents in her arms, was so startled that she stumbled and dropped the papers.


    "Do you think that just because you''re ranked third in the year - end assessment of first - class End Swordsmen, the Brotherhood won''t dare touch you? Do you think that just because you''re from the Karabyan family, the Blood Flask Gang will spare you? And most importantly! Do you think¡ª"


    Chief Lobic''s voice grew louder with each word, his anger palpable. Korn, who had been speaking so eloquently just moments ago, now stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape.


    "¡ªthat just because you''re more handsome than me, you can dictate to your superior?"


    Outside the door, Miss Jora, who was in the process of picking up the scattered documents, was so startled by this last comment that she dropped the papers she had just retrieved.


    "Er¡ªChief, I think we''re getting a bit off - topic here. While I appreciate the compliment on my looks, the situation with the Brotherhood¡ª"


    "Silence! Fool!"


    The enraged Lobic couldn''t help but think that perhaps there was a good reason why Korn''s father had taken to disciplining his son so frequently.


    Lobic took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure. "I understand your zeal, Korn. I too was once filled with youthful enthusiasm. When I first arrived here three years ago, I too harbored the lofty ambition of purging the xc District and the Western Ring District of all their evil and darkness. I dreamed of a day when the citizens could stroll the streets without a care in the world.


    "But you must understand, the Blood Flask Gang and the Black Street Brotherhood are far from being simple, run - of - the - mill gangs. Do you really think that with twenty End Swordsmen, four hundred police officers, and patrol soldiers, we can simply wipe them out? The Blood Flask Gang boasts two magic energy masters, eight superpower warriors, and twelve supreme powerhouses. The Black Street Brotherhood has its three¡ªperhaps four¡ªdeadly assassins, six powerful leaders, and thirteen formidable generals. Do you have any idea how many of these individuals are at the super - rank or even the extreme - realm level? And let''s not forget their vast network of thugs, thieves, rangers, and adventurers that spans the entire kingdom. Their intelligence network is all - encompassing, their relationship network is deeply ingrained, their business network is extensive, their interest network is far - reaching, and their secret network is of utmost importance. Do you think they''re just sitting idly by? Do you think this is a battle against the wild bone people and the Orc on the Western Front? Do you think my police officers and city defense soldiers are expendable, with no families, no children, no social ties, and no concerns? Do you think they''ll rush into danger at your beck and call?"


    "Even if we were to somehow eliminate these two major gangs, what then? What about the sordid secrets of the nobles that are entangled with them? What about the financial benefits and government appropriations that certain administrative departments rely on, which are propped up by the threat of these gangs? What about the annual tributes they pay to the powerful figures in the court? What about the poor, the rioters, and the unemployed who lose their means of livelihood without the gangs'' control and protection? What about the people who stop going to the temples to pray and donate without the gangs'' oppressive presence? What about the rare medicines and strategic materials in the city''s medicine market, alchemy market, and agricultural and animal husbandry market that are only available through the gangs'' smuggling operations? What about the adventurers, mercenaries, and superpower warriors who are left without a source of income and are eager to cause trouble? What about the inability of the Kingdom''s Secret Department to monitor the underground activities of foreign spies without the cooperation of the local gangs, both overt and covert?"


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Have you ever truly considered all these multifarious and crucial matters?" Lobic''s voice, a blend of exasperation and weariness, filled the room. "Do you have any inkling as to why I''ve cleared Red Square Street tonight? A high - ranking figure directly informed me. Tonight, it will transform into the most blood - soaked battlefield. Anyone who ventures near will meet a disastrous end. That''s precisely why I''ve not only emptied the area but also posted a curfew notice, warning everyone to stay away at all costs. And do you know why we''re toiling away with this overtime? So that come morning, our forces can collaborate with the medical, fire, and land administration departments of the town hall. We''ll be tasked with collecting the bodies of those slain in the impending conflict and cleaning up the ruins left in its wake."


    Lobic ceased his tirade, gasping for air as he tugged at his collar, which seemed to constrict his throat. Korn, once so full of passionate argument, now stood in stony silence. His fists, balled tightly at his sides, betrayed the inner turmoil raging within him.


    "Now, Captain Korn Karabyan," Lobic resumed, his tone having softened somewhat, though still firm. "You may leave. Take this time to reflect deeply. Ponder why your father dispatched you to the most challenging alert hall in the entire Star Kingdom, nay, across the Western Continent. And don''t forget to assist Miss Jora, who''s outside the door, in gathering up that scattered stack of documents. After all, this chaos is a direct result of your actions."


    The door creaked open, and Korn stepped out slowly. His once - bright eyes now dimmed, clouded with a sense of desolation and resignation. Miss Jora, who was on her knees, attempting to retrieve the fallen papers, couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the young captain.


    I''m well - aware of all these things Chief Lobic has spoken of, Korn mused silently. His hand instinctively reached out towards the sword rack positioned outside the chief''s office, yearning to grasp the hilt of his sword. But as he considered the situation, a sense of hopelessness washed over him. If even the youngest and most ostensibly progressive alert chief was so mired in political expediency, and if the underworld gangs, with their blood - stained hands, were too formidable to confront head - on, then how could this kingdom ever hope to change? With a heavy heart, Korn let his hand drop.


    He approached Miss Jora, who was still occupied with the scattered documents. The secretary, acutely aware of Korn''s proximity, felt a flush creeping up her cheeks. She was at a loss, trying to decide how to express her gratitude for his impending assistance.


    Zeal? Korn inwardly scoffed. By the time I crawled out of the mounds of corpses on the Western Front, that emotion had long since deserted me. This isn''t about youthful enthusiasm. Lowering his head, Korn clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Determination and a smoldering anger burned in his eyes. This is about doing what is right, what must be done, regardless of the cost.


    Miss Jora''s blush deepened. In that moment, she realized that from Korn''s vantage point, he had an unobstructed view of the alluring curves hidden beneath her professional uniform. And, she couldn''t help but think, with a hint of giddiness, he''s so incredibly handsome. It''s almost unfair.


    Red Square Street? Korn''s eyes narrowed, a cold glint in them. The next instant, his expression hardened into a mask of ice. Without so much as a glance, his right - hand fist abruptly flipped. A powerful gust of wind, as if conjured from thin air, swept through the area in front of the chief''s office door.


    "Whoosh!"


    When the tempest of wind finally subsided, Korn was nowhere to be seen. Gone, too, was the sword that had once rested on the sword rack. Only Miss Jora remained, seething with frustration. She tugged angrily at her red hair, which had been thoroughly disheveled by the sudden gust. To her astonishment, the scattered stack of documents, which had been strewn haphazardly moments ago, now lay neatly piled on the ground, as if arranged by an invisible hand.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Inside the chief''s office, Lobic let out a weary sigh, his eyes closing in resignation. Compared to the situation on Red Square Street, the request from that influential figure was proving to be far more vexing. He was tasked with discerning, from the Sunset Believers passing through the Western City Gate, the true reason behind the Sunset Temple''s decision to seal off its inner altar.


    Those religious fanatics, Lobic thought, shaking his head in dismay. How could I possibly involve myself in matters related to the divine oracle? Especially when it comes to that irascible Sunset Goddess. He spat out a few curses under his breath, as if trying to expel the very thought from his mind. If it were three hundred years ago, merely entertaining such thoughts would have landed me in the Inquisition, at the mercy of the temple priests.


    Viewed in that light, perhaps the two Magic Empresses, despite their notoriously foul tempers, had actually accomplished some good deeds. Another series of muttered curses followed this thought. After all, a hundred years ago, a similar musing would have seen me thrown into the Magic Might Prison by the Empress'' Imperial Magic Guards.


    ¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D


    Back in the present, Yara stared at Thales in utter disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. "You claim that you killed Quaid?" she asked, her voice laced with incredulity, as if she were struggling to comprehend the words that had just left Thales'' lips.


    "Yes, and," Thales replied, his voice steady and resolute. He fixed his gaze on Yara, a young woman both alluring and dangerous. "I implore you to help the four of us escape from the three districts of the Lower City."


    Thales wasn''t taking a wild gamble. During his four - year sojourn as a beggar in the ruined house, his world hadn''t been entirely devoid of light. Amidst the darkness, there were glimmers of warmth. The children in the same abode, who had shared his hardships and offered mutual support, were one source. Jenny, the kind - hearted helper at Grove Apothecary, was another. And then there was Yara, this enigmatic female bartender. Despite her initial air of aloofness, Thales sensed a hidden kindness within her. Three years prior, she had saved his life. Had it not been for her intervention, he would have fallen prey to the fierce wolfhound that Morris had kept. Morris had ranted and raved for days about how the dog, which he had raised for six long years, had inexplicably vanished.


    "Repeat that?" Yara''s voice was sharp, as if she had just heard the most preposterous claim imaginable. "You''ve just slain the son of Shandara Rhoda, the ''Iron - Hearted'' arms boss of the Black Street Brotherhood. Quaid Rhoda, who oversaw the Brotherhood''s beggar operations in Everstar City. He was the most feared figure in the underworld of the Star Kingdom. And now, you expect me to shield you, to betray the very organization I''m a part of, and to help you elude the inevitable manhunt and pursuit of the Black Street Brotherhood?"


    "Not exactly," Thales responded, rubbing the spot on his forehead where Yara had poked him. He offered a sheepish smile, attempting to defuse the tension. "But, essentially, yes."


    Yara was silent for a long moment, processing this bombshell. Thales, though impatient, knew he had to wait. Finally, Yara let out a sigh, her expression hardening once more into its customary mask of cold indifference.


    "Hmph, do you really think I''d pit myself against the entire Brotherhood for your sake? Do I strike you as some naive do - gooder? Or, more precisely, do I look like someone who would risk everything for a bunch of street urchins?"


    "You won''t have to engage with the Brotherhood directly," Thales pleaded, his voice urgent. "We''ve devised our own escape plan. All we need from you is some food, essential supplies, and your help in concealing us from the Brotherhood''s watchful eyes as we make our way from the Lower City to Red Square Street. Given your connections and resources, this should be a simple task for you."


    "Please," Thales added, his voice thick with emotion. "You''re our only hope, Sister Yara. We have no one else to turn to."


    But Yara remained unmoved. "Hmph, you''re nothing but a lowly beggar," she sneered. "I''m affiliated with the Brotherhood, in some capacity. What makes you think I won''t promptly hand you, the murderer of a Brotherhood leader, and your accomplices over to them?"


    Thales fell silent, his mind racing. Yara, her head slightly turned, regarded him with a mocking half - smile, waiting for his response.


    "Because I trust you," Thales finally said, his voice soft yet filled with conviction.


    Yara was taken aback, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What?"


    "Because I believe in you, and I know you want to be a good person," Thales repeated, enunciating each word clearly.


    Yara was dumbfounded. She felt as if she had stepped into a strange, alternate reality. This was not the response she had expected. Such a naive, almost childlike sentiment, coming from someone who had endured the harsh realities of life in the Brotherhood and the beggar dens. It was as if he had been influenced by some fantastical tales, perhaps from the plays at the Nether Night Temple. The story of the friendship between Hero Sara and Prophet Kaipeng, perhaps? Or had Quaid''s brutal beating addled his brain?


    Thales took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I''m well - aware that the Brotherhood is rife with scum and villains. They''re bloodthirsty monsters, wearing human skins. Sympathy, kindness, conscience - these are alien concepts to them. They traffic in human misery, selling destitute girls into the brothels, maiming innocent children, peddling drugs to naive teenagers, extorting hard - working merchants until they''re penniless, driving desperate farmers to starvation, and enslaving those unable to pay their debts. They collude with degenerate nobles in the most heinous and unspeakable schemes."


    "But I also understand that many within the Brotherhood are trapped by circumstances. They''re forced into a life of crime by poverty, by the cruel realities of the world. They''ve been indoctrinated from a young age, ensnared in a web of violence and corruption, with no means of escape. They act out of necessity, believing they have no other choice."


    "Yet, despite these harsh circumstances, I believe that if someone can still hold onto a glimmer of compassion, a spark of kindness, a shred of conscience, and choose to do good, it''s an act of true heroism. You, Yara, have shown me that side of you. You could have chosen the easy path, using your formidable sword skills to earn a fortune through illegal means. But instead, you''ve offered kindness in small ways. You''ve given a free drink to a down - on - his - luck drunkard, provided a cloak to a battered prostitute, and, three years ago, you risked incurring Morris'' wrath to save my life. And in the years since, you''ve continued to support me, in your own way."


    Yara''s brows knitted together, and she unconsciously bit her lower lip. Thales'' words were hitting a nerve, dredging up memories she had long since tried to bury.


    Thales looked up, his eyes locking onto Yara''s. "To do these things, to resist the allure of easy, immoral wealth and instead choose the path of kindness, is far more difficult, more dangerous, and more - "


    "Stop!" Yara''s voice was sharp, cutting through the air. Her eyes were red, and her expression was a mix of anger and something else, something she couldn''t quite put into words. "You''re not even family to me. How dare you - "


    But Thales cut her off, his voice unwavering. "Yara Sariton! I''ve witnessed your incredible swordsmanship. I''ve seen you dispatch a dog with a single, swift strike, and I''ve watched as you dealt with troublemakers, severing their fingers without hesitation. I know that the regulars at the Sunset Bar cower in fear at the mere sight of you. Even Quaid, Rick, and Morris - they treat you with a healthy dose of respect. I''ve seen how they acquiesce when you negotiate lower purchase prices. I may not know the full significance of the Sariton surname within the Brotherhood, but I suspect your past is steeped in blood. Perhaps your family, your kin, are all deeply entrenched in the Brotherhood''s criminal activities."


    Yara remained silent, her face a mask of resignation. Thales'' words were uncomfortably close to the truth, dredging up memories she had long tried to suppress.


    "So, truthfully, I''m not certain if you''re a good person or not," Thales continued. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dagger. "I stole this from your bar. But I know that the day I casually mentioned not having a knife to chop firewood, this very dagger mysteriously appeared in the most conspicuous spot in the utility room that afternoon. I''ve always been aware of your silent kindness."


    "Until today, I thought this dagger might have been left behind by someone else, perhaps Edmund. But when it was stained with blood, the letters ''jc'' emerged on the blade. I realize now that these are the initials of your name. I heard your full name from Quaid''s lips just today."


    Yara''s jaw tightened. She was so caught up in the moment that she didn''t even question how a street - smart beggar, with no formal education, could read and decipher the letters on the dagger.


    "Yara Sariton, Miss jc, I need you to know that this dagger, a symbol of your kindness, saved my life today. And it saved the lives of those three children over there, who consider a simple loaf of white bread to be a veritable feast fit for a king."


    Yara''s fists clenched, her eyes blazing with a mixture of emotions. This damned child, she thought. He sees far more than he should.


    "So, while I''m uncertain of your past or your future, I''m convinced that - "


    " - you have the potential to be a good person. jc."

 Chapter 9: The Journey to Destiny

    4:30 a.m., Hongfang Street.


    The ghostly figure of Le York, the fearsome killer of the Brotherhood, appeared on the rooftop of a civilian house. The next moment, he was in a nearby alley, and the moment after that, he rushed towards the wide avenue.


    On the ground stained red with blood, dozens of corpses lay. There were elite members of the Brotherhood wrapped in black cloth, as well as members of the Blood Bottle Gang wearing red scarves on their heads.


    Le York let out another roar, and his figure disappeared. When he reappeared, he was already on the signboard of the opposite shop.


    It was as if¡ªas if he was desperately trying to get rid of something that was following him.


    The sounds of fighting continued in the distance.


    Suddenly, on Le York''s originally anxious face, an expression that combined calmness and fierceness emerged.


    In the next instant, Le York''s scimitar passed through under his left armpit at a strange angle. Like an anaconda hunting its prey, it stabbed towards his left rear with lightning speed!


    There was no one there, yet¡ª


    "Rip!"


    The sound of cloth tearing came!


    "One strike hit the mark."


    "The ''Ghost in the Wind'', Rolf."


    Le York raised his scimitar and wiped the blood off the tip of the blade. The anxiety and anger on his face had disappeared, replaced by a cold-bloodedness that hinted at madness.


    "The ''Silent Killer'' Le York. Is it just your luck that''s too good, or did you really sense my position?" A strange, sinister and soft voice drifted from all directions.


    Le York just¾²¾²µØ maintained his original posture and remained silent.


    "A killer like you is a pity in the Brotherhood."


    As the voice faded, a figure appeared on the road in front of Le York.


    A man with green hair, wearing a gray tight-fitting outfit and with tattoos on his face, smiled and touched his left collarbone. There, a wound was slowly oozing blood.


    Le York''s pupils suddenly shrank. His strike should have perfectly pierced his opponent''s heart, and then he should have pulled out the knife the moment the blood vessels in the atrium were pierced. However, his knife had only grazed the opponent''s collarbone?


    Le York was surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his calm state and silently prepared for his next strike.


    A killer should always have the confidence to deliver a fatal blow with their next strike.


    If Rick were here, he would definitely scoff at Le York''s nickname of the "Silent Killer". That annoying killer was the one who used the most sarcastic words against him, wasn''t he?


    Even the time traveler Thales would nod his head: Le York when fighting with Belicia like a fairy battle wasn''t exactly "silent".


    But at this moment, Le York''s eyes were sinister, and he remained completely still, standing on the signboard like a statue, truly exuding a terrifying "silence".


    But the next moment, the face of Rolf, known as the "Ghost in the Wind", changed.


    "Forget it," Rolf snorted. "I didn''t expect that that guy Kalka would actually be killed by Morris. Should I say that the fat guy really lives up to his reputation as one of the six great leaders of the Brotherhood?"


    "I''ll hide for a while. But don''t get me wrong, our game isn''t over yet, ''Silent Killer''."


    The next moment, Rolf disappeared.


    At the same time, Morris¡ªone of the six great leaders of the Black Street Brotherhood, the person in charge of the human trafficking business¡ªled a team of elites and appeared at the corner with a fierce expression.


    "Boss!" Le York instantly floated down from the signboard and saluted Morris.


    "It was the ''Ghost in the Wind'' Rolf."


    The chubby Morris nodded and threw a corpse in his hand to the ground.


    This was a sturdy man, but he seemed to have been in great pain before his death. If the Brotherhood''s exclusive black doctor¡ªthe strange doctor Ramon were here, he would quickly analyze that before his death, the sturdy man''s lips were purple, the corners of his eyes were congested, and his nails were pink.


    Kalka, the supernatural warrior from the Kiseri Grassland in the Eastern Continent and a member of the nomadic tribe, known as the "War Wolf", died of suffocation.


    "Have you found the others?" Morris asked with a serious expression, showing no joy at getting rid of a powerful enemy¡ªespecially since the opponent was a supernatural warrior.


    Le York shook his head with a heavy heart: "No. But I encountered obstacles that seemed to be ''air walls'' in several places. According to the descriptions I''ve heard in the past," the killer paused and said with great solemnity and worry, "I suspect that a ''Qi Magician'' may have taken action."


    "A Qi Magician? An air wall. Damn it!"


    Morris spat angrily. No matter which supernatural being it was, upon hearing that the enemy they were facing was a magician, and especially a magician who could suppress their own abilities, they wouldn''t be too happy.


    For this foolproof surprise attack, the Brotherhood had gathered almost all the elites from the headquarters in Eternal Star City, organized them into groups, and aimed to catch the enemy off guard and deliver a fatal blow. However, at the very beginning of the attack, the Brotherhood''s elites were scattered by several huge forces and strong winds. Some places on Hongfang Street were even no longer passable. The originally powerful elite troops were instantly split into a multi-headed snake whose head and tail couldn''t take care of each other.


    In the poems sung by bards, the monster multi-headed snake Kilika was finally killed by the hero Nekaru, who cut off its heads one by one.


    Now it seemed that it was undoubtedly the "Qi Magician" who scattered them.


    That terrifying guy, I hope we don''t run into him head-on. Morris listened to the continuous sounds of fighting in his ears and tried to identify the direction.


    "It was supposed to be us gathering our elites to attack the Blood Bottle Gang''s branch on Hongfang Street. In the end, it turned out that they set an ambush for us¡ªdamn it, it''s really embarrassing, as if we''ve brought shame all the way to the Kingdom of the Dark Night God."


    "One of the only two magicians on the other side has already been dispatched, and we were still stupidly rushing forward to our deaths! Our brains are duller than the Dark Night God himself!"


    Morris cursed with words that were blasphemous to the gods, but his mind was constantly turning.


    "There must be an informant! When we get back, I''ll squeeze out Lancer''s lungs! That old bastard, how did he do the intelligence work!"


    Le York lowered his head and smartly didn''t follow his superior, one of the "six great leaders", in cursing another "six great leader" of the Brotherhood.


    Morris took a deep breath and quickly made a clear judgment:


    "Since the enemy is a magician and we don''t have any masters above the Extreme Realm here¡ªthe operation to attack Hongfang Street has already completely failed. You all disperse and pass the order to all our own people: abandon the target, return the way we came, and break through with all our might!"


    "We''re going back to the Black Street!"


    *£¨·Ö¸ôÏß±£Áô£©*


    Yara looked at Thales, and the expression on her face gradually faded.


    Time seemed to have passed a long time.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    But Thales just stared at her without moving.


    Until the other party exhaled a breath and gently lowered her head.


    "You little brat."


    Yara had no expression on her face and just looked at the dim ground in the cellar.


    It made Thales not even dare to breathe.


    But then, the young female bartender quickly said quietly:


    "You¡ªyou¡ªhas anyone ever told you¡ª"


    Thales listened attentively.


    "¡ªthat you''re very precocious?"


    This time, it was Thales'' turn to be stunned for a moment.


    Precocious?


    Well, as a time traveler¡ªhaha.


    Quickly think, how did the senior time travelers manage to get through it when they were suspected by the locals?


    Then, this time traveler touched his head, blushed, and said embarrassedly:


    "Hehe¡ªAm I very precocious? Haha, well, Yara, I understand what you mean, but I still really enjoy my current single life and don''t want to¡ª"


    "Bang!"


    Yara''s expression instantly twisted, and she viciously poked Thales'' forehead with one finger!


    "Little brat, you''d better know when to stop!"


    "And, call me Sister Yara!"


    Thales rubbed his forehead in pain, but a memory faded into his mind.


    It was a sunny afternoon.


    "Wu Qiren! Dota 2 can still operate without you! You''d better know when to stop!"


    "Why do you keep saying the same sentence recently?"


    "Hey, this is a famous saying in the world of two-dimensional! Of course, I have to¡ªWhy are you still queuing up for the next game!"


    "Ah, my friend asked me to play together. I''m sorry, I can''t refuse."


    "With your Dota skills? Bah! You''d better know when to stop!"


    "Again the same sentence¡ªHey, my gaming mouse!"


    Thales rubbed his head and buried this memory deep in his mind.


    What''s wrong with me recently? The memory flashbacks are getting more and more frequent.


    Although it''s a good thing, as I can retrieve a lot of knowledge and wisdom that I only had in my previous life, but I can''t keep having flashbacks at crucial moments, can I?


    He shook his head, looked at Yara whose expression had changed, and said clearly and firmly:


    "I don''t ask for much. As long as we can get through Hongfang Street, we can escape to the territory of the Blood Bottle Gang. After that, we can take care of ourselves. No one will know about you, and you won''t get into trouble! Now it''s the night before dawn, the darkest time. It shouldn''t be a problem for you to sneak past the eyes of the Brotherhood from the Lower City to Hongfang Street."


    "I can''t say for other places. In fact, as soon as we show up, we''ll be noticed by the Brotherhood. But Hongfang Street is the border between the Brotherhood and the Blood Bottle Gang. There, it''s our only chance to escape! The Brotherhood will definitely spend time chasing after the scattered orphans. By the time they react, they won''t be able to chase us across Hongfang Street!"


    At this moment, Thales, confident and determined, slightly raised the corners of his lips.


    "Huff!"


    Yara let out a sigh and closed her eyes.


    "When the other orphans scattered and fled, you headed straight for Hongfang Street. It''s a good plan. With my skills and experience, I might have a chance to divert the attention of the Brotherhood."


    When she opened her eyes again, her gaze suddenly became sharp and shrewd, fierce and terrifying, as if she had instantly transformed back into the female killer she once was.


    Thales rarely saw Yara like this.


    "But, will you be safe once you reach the territory of the Blood Bottle Gang? You can outwit the Black Street Brotherhood for a while, but it''s only temporary."


    "The Brotherhood has countless capable people and outstanding combat power. Even the Blood Bottle Gang, which opposes them, is at a disadvantage. It''s only a matter of time before they find the real culprit."


    "And then, where else can you go? As long as you''re still in Eternal Star City, the Black Street Brotherhood will always find you."


    "Even if you leave Eternal Star City, how do you know that the power of the Brotherhood won''t be even more terrifying and unscrupulous outside the city?"


    Yara''s words seemed to instantly hit Thales'' weak point.


    Thales swayed with a pale face.


    Yes, his plan didn''t go that far. With limited abilities and wisdom, he had no idea what would happen after reaching Hongfang Street.


    But they had nowhere else to go, didn''t they?


    They could only go to Hongfang Street.


    "That''s our business then." Thinking of this, he said stubbornly.


    Yara, the killer Yara with a shrewd and fierce appearance (not the lazy and indifferent female bartender Yara before), shook her head.


    "But, it''s impossible¡ª"


    Seeing that Yara was still shaking her head, Thales became anxious.


    In order to get Yara''s help, he had used all his tricks, from appealing to emotions to building relationships, and even launched the "justice speech". Could he still fail? This wasn''t fair!


    "I know that compared to providing food and giving me a dagger, this request is too much. But, please look at those three children over there. Their hopes are all in this bar! Yara, please help me! And¡ª"


    Thales said with difficulty.


    Yara raised her eyebrows.


    The time traveler really didn''t want to say the following words because, in his opinion, it was completely blatant coercion and torture.


    "And¡ªyou still owe me a favor, don''t you!"


    Thales said firmly.


    "Huh?"


    Yara''s eyes were filled with confusion and surprise, but then, she let out a laugh.


    The female bartender placed a wolf leg knife on her lap in front of Thales.


    "A favor? You mean that you once suggested that I change the weapon to this form, and you think that''s a favor? Well, okay, that counts, but you''re really taking advantage of this favor."


    Thales saw the wolf leg knife.


    Immediately, memories of Yara from the past came to his mind.


    It was a long time ago.


    "Yara, Yara, I''ve thought of a way to make up for the power and speed of your knife strikes!"


    "How many times have I told you to call me Sister Yara! Go away. A little brat who doesn''t understand combat, has no supernatural abilities, no divine arts, and doesn''t understand magic either, don''t bother me while I''m training."


    "Yara! This is it! Look at this picture!"


    "Eh! The style and curvature of this knife¡ªLittle brat, where did you get it? It seems quite interesting."


    "This is called a dogleg knife! Believe it or not, it''s a weapon from another world!"


    "Pfft, what dogleg. Even if we use it, can we change it to a nicer and more imposing name? Also, call me Sister Yara! And, what another world? Stop going to the Dark Night Temple to watch plays. The people there are all crazy."


    Thinking of this, Thales shook his head and drove away the memories.


    He firmly and slowly said the following words one by one:


    "No, it''s not based on this favor. It''s based on¡ªon the favor that you provoked Quaid to this extent, made him lose his mind and go crazy, causing heavy casualties among the orphans, and forcing us to flee."


    Thales said this sentence heavily.


    As the words fell.


    Yara stared at him with wide eyes, in disbelief, and her beautiful eyelashes kept trembling.


    "You¡ªHow did you¡ª"


    Thales was originally a bit nervous, but seeing Yara''s expression, he finally made a judgment in his heart.


    "Yes."


    Thales nodded, and his heart felt somewhat heavy.


    "You cut Quaid''s hand before, right? While he was cursing, he kept calling your name. Also, when Quaid''s greatest shame was mentioned, he might have been angry, but he was more ashamed. How could he go crazy and massacre the orphans? I don''t know what happened, but Quaid must have come to the Sunset Bar to drink and offended you. Then, somehow he went crazy and lost his mind, rushed into the abandoned house, and killed¡ªkilled half of the orphans."


    "Is that right?"


    "The lives of those half of the orphans are actually related to you, aren''t they?"


    At this moment, Thales truly saw the trembling in Yara''s eyes.


    That damn little brat.


    Yara cursed in her heart, but the wolf leg knife in her hand kept shaking, revealing her current state of mind.


    He''s a bit too smart.


    It''s just dozens of orphans. Yara thought with a tremble in her heart. It wasn''t me who killed them with my own hands. It has nothing to do with me.


    It''s all that Rick, that damn accountant.


    It has nothing to do with me.


    Does it really have nothing to do with me?


    Suddenly, in Yara''s mind, there appeared a baby covered in blood, wrapped in a precious blanket, and then she raised the knife in her hand.


    At that moment, her heart seemed too heavy to pump blood.


    "So, please help these four remaining orphans in front of you, because this is a favor that you¡ªthat you owe us."


    Thales felt extremely uncomfortable, but still painfully said these words.


    Yara tightly closed her eyes and inserted the wolf leg knife back into her boot.


    "Of course, if the design of the wolf leg knife also counts as a favor, then let''s count it. When you have many debts, you don''t worry about one more."


    Thales seemed to think the atmosphere was too oppressive, so he forced a smile again.


    Just, very reluctantly.


    After a long time, Yara opened her eyes.


    She gently raised her head.


    "Thales, you''re really a special child."


    "You always manage to hit someone''s weak point with one strike."


    "Quaid was probably killed by you in the same way, with one fatal blow."


    Her tone was somewhat listless, making Thales feel uneasy.


    But her next words made Thales'' heart sink like falling into an ice cellar.


    "But, it''s useless. Even if I''m willing to help you and sacrifice my life to protect you¡ªyou still won''t be able to get through Hongfang Street."


    Yara said each word slowly.


    Each pause was like it was taking Thales'' life.


    "Because, tonight, the Brotherhood is going to attack Hongfang Street."


    "It has already started. Hongfang Street will become the most terrifying battlefield in Eternal Star City tonight."


    Time around them seemed to spasm, and it took a long time to return to the normal time and space.


    "What did you say¡ª" Thales asked with trembling lips and a pale face.


    "So, give up. You also know that since Hongfang Street is already a battlefield, no matter how powerful I am, even if I have the strength like the ''Wrath of the Kingdom'', it''s impossible to lead four wounded children through the battlefield of the two major gang leaders."


    Yara said dejectedly.


    Thales stared at Yara in shock, then looked at the three children in the distance who had almost finished their bread. Coria saw him looking and happily waved her hand. Four-year-old girls are always quick to forget pain.


    "Don''t worry," Sinti licked the breadcrumbs off her hands and patted Ryan, who was still trembling with fear: "Thales will take us to escape."


    "Yeah, Thales is the smartest. He can do anything!" Coria raised a small piece of bread and added happily.


    But on the other side of the cellar, in front of Yara, the time traveler who carried the orphans'' confidence and hope buried his face in his hands in despair.


    "How could this happen¡­"


    "Why would the Brotherhood attack Hongfang Street today¡­"


    "Why tonight¡­"


    "This shouldn''t be¡­"


    "Haha, an accident, an accident¡­"


    "Haha¡­"


    "We can''t go anywhere else¡­"


    "Except for Hongfang Street and the subsequent West Ring District, the Brotherhood has informants everywhere¡­"


    "Unless we go straight to Lower City District 1, from there to the sewers, to the¹îµÀ, which is the territory of the Iron Bat Gang¡­"


    "No, the Iron Bat Gang has long submitted to the Black Street Brotherhood¡­"


    "Go back to the abandoned house? Destroy Quaid''s body¡­"


    "Impossible, the other children already know¡­"


    "They''ll eventually find us¡­"


    "What should we do¡­"


    "What should we do!"


    Thales'' face wasÌúÇà, his lips were pale, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.


    Yara felt a bit sorry, but could only shake her head and pat his shoulder.


    "Stay here with me," Yara sighed, "I have someone I trust who can hide you for at least a month."


    "I can go to the old man," Yara paused and said embarrassedly, "The Brotherhood respects the old man''s influence. You¡ªat least you won''t die."


    But it will be worse than death¡ªThales added silently in his heart.


    "Sometimes," Yara looked at Thales'' dejected appearance and sighed, thinking that even this intelligent boy had reached a dead end, "we have to accept our fate."


    Thales'' vision suddenly blurred again.


    "Qiren,°¦, she''s gone. You, you, you must take care¡­ÎØÎØÎØ¡­"


    "I¡­ I''m fine. Don''t worry¡­ Don''t worry, Auntie, I''m fine¡­ really fine."


    "I know, Qiren. Hehe, sometimes, we have to accept our fate. Since she''s gone, this is a hurdle we must overcome, no one is exempt,ºÇºÇ."


    "Auntie¡­ you¡­ she¡­"


    "We have to accept our fate¡­ÎØÎØ¡­ accept our fate¡­ÎØ¡­"


    Accept fate.


    What is my fate?


    To be transported to this world just to be killed?


    Am I destined to accept it?


    Ridiculous.


    I''ve read so many books.


    Conducted so many studies.


    Written so many papers.


    How can I accept my fate!


    How can I believe in so-called fate!


    Thales suddenly raised his head, startling Yara.


    His eyes were filled with determination and anger.


    "Little brat, are you¡ªare you okay?" Yara asked tentatively. For some reason, she was suddenly afraid of this seven-year-old boy.


    "Let them stay here with you."


    Thales suddenly blurted out.


    "All three of them stay, and you must stay to protect them. You can say that you captured these three orphans."


    Thales said emotionlessly, as if everything in front of him had lost its color.


    "What?" Yara asked in surprise, but Thales ignored her.


    "I''ll coordinate the testimony with the three children. I''m the one who¡ªwho single-handedly killed Quaid."


    Thales continued expressionlessly, emphasizing the word "single-handedly", "When the Brotherhood comes, tell them that."


    Yara frowned: "What about you? Do you want me to hand you over?"


    "I''ll go alone."


    For some reason, Yara suddenly realized that this child had made up his mind.


    And no one could go against his resolve, let alone stop it.


    But she couldn''t let him go to his death like this.


    After all, he¡­


    "You won''t even make it out of the Lower City, little brat. When the sun rises, the Brotherhood will definitely notice something''s wrong, and their informants will capture you. Then, you''ll only regret not begging me to kill you now."


    Yara said with a complicated expression.


    Thales turned his head, his eyes as cold as ice.


    "Yeah," Thales said coldly. Having spent a year in the Brotherhood''s½¼Íâ base and four years in the Lower City since his´©Ô½, he knew the Brotherhood''s methods and capabilities well, "I probably won''t escape."


    "But they can survive and avoid the suffering Quaid left behind."


    No, Quaid has already left them with unforgettable pain for life, he thought silently.


    Yara reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders, but turned her face away.


    But Thales felt Yara''s hands¡ªhands known for their stability and precision, the hands of a killer¡ªtrembling slightly.


    No, there''s one place left.


    The only place.


    And I''ve known it all along, haven''t I?


    Thales suddenly laughed.


    Fate, it''s all just a game.


    It toys with you.


    You can toy with it too.


    He looked at the three children who had just finished their bread and were looking at him hopefully¡ªthey were no longer orphans.


    The time traveler turned back and looked at Yara with determination and calmness.


    Looking at Yara with a gloomy face and red eyes, Thales spoke softly.


    "It''s 4:30. Dawn will come soon. There''s still a distance to Hongfang Street. Tell me the locations of the Brotherhood''s informants."


    "It''s time for me to go."


    "To Hongfang Street¡ªlet''s go."