The hands of time move and move, the windmill of time turns and turns, the wheel of fate rolls and rolls In short, that's what it means, you just need to know that it is three years later.
Well, three years later.
Outside a medium-sized town somewhere in the north, a convoy, escorted by more than a hundred well-armored elite cavalry, came in the dust. Then about three miles outside the town, with the whistle of the leading cavalry, the team's speed suddenly increased. Slowing down greatly, the rangers spread out, setting arrows and guns, and slowly approached the entrance of the town.
At this time, there was a crash, and the curtain of the luxury carriage in the center of the motorcade was suddenly opened from the inside. "Ah after a long journey, we finally arrived." There was a vague figure stretching in the carriage. , then the car window opened, and a young face with masculine charm poked out. He first looked at the town in front of him in the distance, then turned his eyes and landed on a stone tablet beside the road. He squinted and read, "Friends of Peace You love the town? Isn¡¯t that a typo?¡±
I have to say that this young handsome guy has good observation skills. Of course, the way of thinking is even more bizarre. Unfortunately, no one answered his question, but a question suddenly came from the carriage, "This is the residence of the target we are looking for this time? Sir Philip, are you sure this is here?"
The young handsome guy, oh no, Philip smiled and pulled back his head when he heard this. He did not answer the question immediately. Instead, he looked at the calm-looking middle-aged man sitting opposite, spread his hands and asked: "n, w¡Íww. Mandel Sir, do you know the geographical location of the new town in front of us?"
"Your Excellency Philip, are you going to test me?" The middle-aged man known as Sir Mandel raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and then replied calmly, "As far as I know. This town is backed by Beacon City. It faces Pula City. , which is the current gathering place of Muhawa. It happens to be at the junction of the forces of the Gray Army and the Northern Wilderness Tribe, and it can be regarded as an out-and-out no-nonsense area Am I right, Your Excellency Philip?"
With loud applause, Philip sighed in appreciation: "As expected of His Majesty the King's chosen negotiator, Sir Mandel has done a great job However, do you know that the person we are looking for this time has nothing to do with the Gray Army and the Northern Wasteland?" Tribal relationship?¡±
Mandel frowned: "That assassin? I heard that he is the husband of the leader of the Gray Army, Josiah This is also the main reason why we came to him this time, isn't it?"
"Yes, but this is just one aspect." Shaking his head lightly, Phillip seemed to have remembered something. With a somewhat emotional expression, he said, "That guy is a winner in life Well, now that we have arrived at our destination, we should make some things clear. In addition to being Josiah's husband, that guy is also related to the Northern Wilderness Royal Family. The only His Highness, Lan Sha, the supreme commander of the Northern Wilderness who led a million barbarian troops to defeat our Imperial Army in the Lenau River War Zone, has a close friendship. Even Well, anyway, I think this pair The couple must have hooked up."
He smacked his lips. Without concealing the look of envy and hatred on his face: "Oh, that's right. His relationship with the Bran Empire is also not shallow. Perhaps Sir Mandel, you have also heard about this news, but you have never been able to confirm it because some people are afraid He was embarrassed and therefore implemented a blockade Yes, he is the assassin who sent the Pope and the First Prince to meet God the Father three years ago!"
"Hey" Even though Sir Mandel has a very stable mind, he had indeed heard about this news and rumors before, but when he got the conclusive confirmation from Philip, he still couldn't help but take a breath, and his scalp Slightly numb. It wasn't until he was shocked for a while that he regained his composure and said in a deep voice, "I heard that the assassin is dead."
"Heard? Haha" Philip shook his head and laughed, "Then I'm sure you haven't heard how he died, right?"
Mandel acquiesced, and Philip asked himself, "He was burned to death. The specific time was probably at the end of the month after the battle of the Temple General Assembly. On the night of his wedding to Josiah, he probably drank too much and accidentally knocked over the candlestick. Oil lamp. And then after the wedding room was completely burned by the fire, he was still drunk and rushed out of it Haha, a peerless strong man who dared to sneak into the temple hall alone, assassinate the Pope and retire successfully. , do you believe that he was burned to death like this?"
Mandel smiled bitterly and shook his head: "If things are really like what you said, then no matter whether others believe it or not, I don't believe it anyway I understand!" After a pause, he suddenly touched his hands and said, "You got away by cheating your death! So he is now Just hiding in this town?"
"No, you still don't fully understand." Philip waved his hand regretfully, "Although he has done a lot of outrageous things, the empire, especially the Temple of Light, would like to kill him quickly. But I have to say, with his current situation The realm of strength is as big as the world, who can stop it, and where can¡¯t you go? Where is the need to deliberately hide?"
"And the reason why he has to stay in this sensitive area, in a newly built town, without moving for three years Haha""" At this point, Phillip suddenly laughed, gloating about his misfortune, "It's just because he was worried about a fire in the backyard!" Think about it, Josiah is his real wife, and Lansha is his public lover. With such a chaotic relationship, if he hadn't been here to take charge, the Gray Clothes Army and the Northern Wilderness Tribe would have been at war with each other long ago! "
"So that's it There is peace and love in the town, that's it" Well, even though Mandel claims to be a person who has seen big scenes and has rich experience, at the moment, just the chaotic relationship between a man and two women can The ridiculous things that promoted or even determined the situation of the game between countries were still far beyond his imagination. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion and marvel at the unbelievability.
But immediately, Mandel seemed to think of something, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, with a light shining in his eyes.
"If I were you, believe me, I would definitely clear my mind of dangerous thoughts immediately!"
With a shiver in his heart, Mandel slowly raised his head and looked at Philip, who was looking at him with a slight smile on his face. He paused, spread his hands and said with a smile: "Sir Philip, you are thinking too much."
"I also hope that I'm overthinking it. If that's the case I'm sorry, but please forgive me for getting used to it." Philip looked unmoved. "Perhaps Sir Mandel knows that the Empire has had several battles with the Gray Army. During the negotiations, I played the role of middleman every damn time. How do you say the result? I was tricked quite a bit. There is a shadow So. I feel it is necessary to remind Mr. Mandel here."
Holding up a finger and staring into Mandel's calm eyes, Philip exerted pressure in a deep voice, "It's best not to act on some dangerous thoughts, otherwise no one will be able to bear the consequences To put it bluntly, that guy is indeed a gray soldier. The only link with the Northern Wilderness tribe, but this alone wants to assassinate him and create chaos in the two countries. It is undoubtedly the way to die! No one is a fool, not to mention that this plan is impossible to succeed. Even if it can, I believe it I, faced with two crazy women who lost their loved ones, the first one to pay the price of national subjugation must be the Bran Empire! Please believe this, Lord Mandel!"
Mandel did not avoid the oppressive sight. He is good at negotiation and has extremely strong psychological quality. He smiled calmly. There was silence for a while until the car suddenly paused. It was probably after officially entering the town that the silence in the carriage was broken. He shook his head and sighed: "Sir Philip, there seems to be a problem with your position."
"This will happen when you are deceived too many times Of course, I still believe in Jazz's professionalism, and I hope you can achieve satisfactory negotiation results for the empire this time."
"Thank you. I also hope that you can face up to your position. After all, you have the glory of a family that attracts the attention of the empire!"
"Haha, it's easy to talk about"
"Each other"
¡¡
There is no problem with Mandel¡¯s homework. This town with a strange name does have certain characteristics of being indifferent. For example, when this eye-catching convoy and more than a hundred elite cavalry entered the town, they did not encounter any interrogation at all, and there were no law enforcement officers such as police cavalry in sight. The road was smooth and unimpeded.
??????????????????????????????? However, if you think this is a three-no-things area based on this, it is a bit unworthy of the name. Because the atmosphere here is much better than expected. There are all kinds of shops with open doors on the streets, vendors shouting loudly on the street, and pedestrians coming and going on the road in an endless stream. When passing by the motorcade, they face the cavalry. They looked down and observed with a little scrutiny. Most of the pedestrians had calm expressions. After a few glances, they looked away in boredom. They seemed to have become accustomed to it
Together with this, after the somewhat dazzling convoy entered here, it was like a clear spring flowing into the lake, causing almost no ripples, and then calmed down.
Noisy but not chaotic, this is the first impression the town gives people. If you observe more carefully, you will find that there seems to be an invisible rule here to ensure that the town is orderly and vibrant!
The team¡¯s goal is very clear, or they have found a good guide, Philip. So there were almost no detours. After traveling through most of the town, the convoy finally stopped in front of a tavern-like building in the east of the town.
"There is a Qing Bar" After getting off the carriage, Phillip looked up at the simple sign of the store and couldn't help grinning, "Okay, although I don't understand what a Qing Bar is, I can definitely know the strange name of this town. How did you get here?"
"What?" Mandel didn't understand.
"It's nothing. It's understandable that I just suddenly feel that I have no taste, but bad taste is not good Let's go in." After leaving a sentence that made Mandel shrug inexplicably, Philip walked towards this weird shop first. , as soon as I stepped in, my eyes suddenly darkened.
Don¡¯t get me wrong, this is not about being put in a sack;The internal environment is like this. The semi-enclosed design blocks out the bright and warm afternoon sun, making the light inside the store not bright enough. In addition, the dim wall lamps on the surrounding walls make it look a bit dim and fuzzy at first glance. But if you take a closer look, you will find that the atmosphere here is very much like an old book with yellowed corners, giving people a sense of tranquility and elegance.
??This kind of design technique was undoubtedly beyond the expectations of Philip and Mandel. The two paused at the threshold for a moment, and then their eyesight gradually adapted and recovered, and they looked into the store, "What are you doing"
The decoration inside the store is also very unique, with tables and chairs. At first glance, it looks like a tavern hall, but if you look closely, you will find that there is a world of difference. Those bonsais that are as tall as one person, colorful painting panels, or statues with outstanding knife skills, etc., separate each table into spaces. They look messy but orderly, and there is a strange sense of balance and harmony.
"Tsk, that's interesting"
The above two contradictory statements with mixed praise and criticism both came from Philip. It must be said that the eyes of this famous wolf of the imperial capital are quite vicious. Although he frowned in shock after being shocked by the novelty in front of him at first, but It didn't take long to recover. And faintly pondering the charm and beauty from it. Really extraordinary.
"It's indeed interesting." Mandel nodded in agreement. However, his focus is not on the overall decoration design of the store, but on some details, such as the wine rack counter placed at the deepest part of the hall, which is different from the layout of ordinary pubs. ¡°The payment place is so far away from the door, so there is no need to worry about customers. Do you want to leave immediately after drinking?"
Phillip laughed and shook his head: "Ha, believe me, no one would do such a stupid thing."
Mandel was stunned when he heard this. Then he thought of the terrifying identity of the owner here, and couldn't help laughing at himself: "It's true, I was wrong." Isn't it? If the owner of this weird tavern is really the man who dared to assassinate the Pope, then if he dares to escape the bill here, he really doesn't know how to write the word "death"
The wine rack counter is said to be at the deepest part of the hall, but the area of ??this weird tavern is not large, so it only took a dozen steps for Philip and the two of them to walk from the threshold to the counter.
But unfortunately, there was a sturdy young man in gray waiting in front of them. Not like a guest.
Sensing someone coming from behind, the young man in gray turned his head subconsciously. After looking up and down at Phillip's and their clothes, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned. Then he looked sideways at the knights in the luxury motorcade parked outside the door, and frowned slightly.
At this time, "Sorry, little Kim, I kept you waiting for so long" The wooden door behind the counter opened, and a figure came out carrying a small bag. He was also a young man, but he seemed to be more mature. With a faint smile that is said to be harmless to humans and animals. During the greeting, he turned his eyes and saw Philip with a slightly raised mouth and Mandel with a complicated expression and eyes. He couldn't help but be startled, but he reacted instantly and raised his eyebrows at the former Philip as a sign of greeting.
"Brother Tang, you are too polite. I didn't wait long." The young man in gray clothes, who was called Xiao Jin, had a familiar and kind attitude, even with a hint of respect. He reached out and picked up the small bottle placed by the young shopkeeper on the counter. After picking up the bag, he couldn't help but be startled, "Huh? Isn't this monthly money too much?"
"It's not much. It's just enough to make up for the money I owed you last month." The young shop owner smiled and shook his head. "Little Kim, why didn't you tell your elder brother that the monthly payment has increased since last month? In the end, you paid for it yourself. The money must have gone in.¡±
"Haha, Brother Tang still knows it." The young man in gray smiled and scratched his head, which instantly diluted the fierceness on his body. However, he pushed back the extra coins with an extremely firm attitude, "Actually, it doesn't matter, Tang Brother, you are kind to my family. If you hadn't allowed my mother to work here a few years ago, always paid excessive commissions, and deliberately asked my mother to bring food back, my little Kim might have starved to death on the streets Come now I feel ashamed of you for charging me monthly money. My mother beat me several times for this and almost stopped me from entering the house, so I really can¡¯t charge more money"
"Okay, little Kim, just take it if you are told to. There are gang rules. Since you are out to do things, you have to have a bowl of water. These are the rules and can't be messed with." Shaking his head again, the young shopkeeper forcibly handed over the money. Putting it into the hands of the young man in gray, "Besides, our town's geographical location is not good, and no one cares about it. The reason why we can be peaceful now is not all because of your usual day and night patrols and management to maintain order. So this money It's what you deserve, nothing else Well, if you really want to thank me, then come to my place more often and increase my turnover, haha"
"Well, forget it, I'm afraid I'll get beaten if I bump into my mother Besides, brother, this place is nice, but it's too clean and too quiet. We don't feel comfortable here. We don't dare to speak loudly or drink. happy."
"Hey, you guys are here to attack me, my eldest brother, today.ah! "
"Haha, how can I have the courage? What I mean is that brother, you are taking a high-end route, and the people you entertain are all rich businessmen and noble people. We are rough people, sohehe"
He waved his hands angrily, "Okay, kid, take your monthly money and get out of here."
"Okay, okay, let's go, let's go" He said he was about to leave, but the young man in gray did not move. He glanced at Philip and the two beside him vaguely, and asked with a smile, "By the way, These two look unfamiliar, are they your friends?"
The young shopkeeper glanced at Philip and the two who had been standing silently, and nodded: "That's right."
"Really?" The young man in gray asked, as if he meant something.
"Nonsense!" The young shopkeeper once again waved his hands to drive people away angrily: "Don't worry, they are not here to trouble me, there is no need to ask more questions."
"Oh, that's good, I'll just ask." The young man in gray finally felt relieved after hearing this, "Then I'll leave first No! Look at my brain, I almost forgot, I have something to discuss with you, brother. explain."
"What's wrong with you kid today? Is it over yet?"
The young man in gray clothes scratched his head in embarrassment: "The real thing, the real thing Well, I wonder if you've heard, Brother Tang, that there's a new helper in the town recently, and he's acting very arrogantly."
The young shop owner turned his head and thought for a moment: "You mean those people who live temporarily in the south end of the town?"
"Yes, that's them. I heard that they used to be bandits, but now they can't survive. They form a gang called the Black Tiger Gang. A few days ago, they invited our boss to come out for a talk. As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked us to give up half of his money. A town Haha, of course they broke up on bad terms. But judging from their intentions, they don¡¯t seem to want to let it go. So brother, please pay attention these days. If they dare to come and cause trouble, you will send someone to notify me in time, and I will take them. Come and take care of them."
"Okay, I've written it down."
He waved goodbye and said, "Okay, I'll leave first. I won't delay you, brother, to entertain your friends." He probably had to go to work elsewhere to collect monthly money. After saying that, the young man in gray didn't waste any time and nodded politely to Philip and the two. Get off, turn around and leave in a hurry.
"Monthly moneyprotection fee?" After the young man in gray clothes who should be a small town gang member disappeared from the door, Philip looked at the young shopkeeper with a strange expression, his tone was both contemptuous and incredulous.
However, the young shop owner was unusually calm and spread his hands: "I have no choice but to spend money to keep myself safe. A small business can't stand the trouble."
"Pretend! Keep pretending!"
The young shopkeeper shrugged nonchalantly, then opened the wooden door next to the counter and walked out, greeting quietly: "Long time no see, Philip. I'm really surprised that you didn't die on the woman's belly."
?? Phillip stepped forward to meet him: "I'm also puzzled that you weren't burned to death. It's really the gods don't open their eyes!"
¡°Haha, you philanderer¡¯s mouth¡ you are still the same as expected!¡±
"Each other! Each other!"
There was a bang, under the dim wall lamp, two figures hugged each other vigorously, hammering each other on the back, banging like war drums, as if they were about to hammer each other directly