Nine Bends City

One early morning in late July.

A small boat sailed out of the fog-shrouded jungle.

The swaying boat traveled downstream along the Dusk Mist River, one of the three rivers of Nine Bends City, and finally arrived at Nine Bends City, located in the center of the Courtyard in the Forest World.

The small boat then moored on the riverbank.

The two men on the boat returned to land and abandoned the small boat.

The woman gave the man some money, and he then picked up a brown horse, and together they headed towards Nine Bends City.

The man and woman are Linsey and Ailini.

Another month or so has passed.

Logically speaking, Ailini's beloved horse should have been cared for in the villages and towns along the way, either recovering or dying.

But this time, the horses' pneumonia seems to be related to some kind of foreign object.

After a short period of improvement, the condition quickly relapses, leaving even less skilled doctors helpless.

So in the end, the two of them still set off with a sick horse.

With the final leg of the journey into the city just around the corner, Linsey didn't mind carrying the horses along for the trip.

On the way to the city, he joked with Ailini:

"Ailini, we've put a lot of effort into this horse, haven't we?"

Ailini smiled ingratiatingly:

"Who can argue with that?"

Linsey followed up by asking:

"Didn't you ever think about selling this horse along the way, just like you would any other cargo?"

"If this were any other world, I would have sold it long ago!" Ailini cried through gritted teeth. "But in a world like the Courtyard in the Forest, buying a horse is no small sum. If I just sell it carelessly, I'll definitely lose a lot of money!"

"To get a good price, it has to be a big city like Nine Bends City."

Linsey can understand Ailini's thoughts.

The environment of the Courtyard in the Forest is not suitable for raising horses.

The animals used for carrying goods in the area have not yet been successfully domesticated, so the prices of these animals remain high.

Before long, the two arrived at the outer edge of Nine Bends City.

Three rivers crisscross the city, and the city gate that Linsey and his group arrived at was located at the exit of one of the rivers.

Even though other residents come and go daily in the surrounding area.

But Ailini's mournful face and Linsey's Fisherman Set with a horse on her back still drew too much attention.

The guards on the bridge spotted them from afar.

A middle-aged guard informed his companion and then hurriedly ran over. "Are you two... Awakened Ones?"

Of course, an ordinary person wouldn't carry a horse around at will.

The guards dared not be negligent.

Linsey didn't speak; Ailini stepped forward to negotiate.

"I am a businessman, and this is my assistant."

"We came from Lookout Point City, and our horses fell ill on the way. So, I'm sorry, we had to resort to this conspicuous method."

"I understand, Madam Merchant." The guard nodded and proceeded with the routine entry question. "So, do you have any previous entry records in Nine Bends City?"

Ailini took out a badge engraved with Double Snake Pattern and handed it to the other party for inspection.

She then introduced herself, saying, "Of course, Ailini, my name is also associated with the Merchant Guild in the city."

As the guard checked the badges, he glanced cautiously at Linsey, who was carrying the horse, behind him.

"Then this person..."

Ailini suddenly countered, "The path from Black Mountain World to the Cosmic Frontier has been reopened. You should have received the news by now, right?"

The guard nodded naturally:

"Of course, the messenger delivered the message two months ago."

Eileen smiled and patted the other person's shoulder, and a few copper coins slid down her fingers into his pocket. "He is the Awakened One I hired over there."

"Don't worry, this guy's Game Player, his only real ability is his strength..."

The guards were already reluctant to provoke awakened individuals, let alone one who had given them a tip and also had a recognized reputation within the city.

After such negotiations.

Linsey also successfully obtained citizenship in the city.

They then went to the commercial area of Nine Bends City.

The two, who had traveled together all the way here, finally reached the moment of parting.

This time, Linsey didn't joke around with Ailini. Instead, she made a point of transporting the merchant girl's horse to the merchant guild before quietly preparing to leave.

Ailini chased after him, her tone impatient:

"Linsey, are you leaving?"

Linsey nodded:

"You want to continue doing business, but I also have my own things to do."

"..."

"Then I wish you good luck."

Ailini's expression suddenly changed from impatient to a gentle smile.

She leaned closer and hugged Linsey as if she were saying goodbye to a close friend, then whispered in her ear, "I can help you with your identity issue when you enter Nine Bends City."

"But if it's Remote Yue City, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"Be safe..."

Leaving this reminder behind, the young merchant walked into the guild hall without looking back.

Linsey stood in the doorway.

Soon, one hears the girl complaining about the bad luck she's had on her journey, and arguing about the price of the horses.

"Then, I wish you great success in your business."

Linsey said goodbye quietly.

Over the course of these three months, although the two had engaged in a lot of scheming and backstabbing, they had become true friends.

Otherwise, given the profit-seeking nature of businessmen...

Ailini wouldn't help him solve the problem of entering the city for free, and she certainly wouldn't chase after him to remind him when they parted ways.

Say goodbye to this businessman friend I met by chance.

Linsey turned around and walked alone in Nine Bends City.

Compared to Lookout Point City, which is located at the World's Edge, this city has many more houses built of stone or brick, in addition to the most common wooden buildings.

But the most eye-catching features are the three rivers.

Echo Valley River, Merchant River, and Dusk Mist River.

These three rivers originally converged in pairs in the Courtyard in the Forest, but instead of merging into one river, they split into three tributaries.

Nine Bends City was located here, encompassing all the bends of the three rivers.

Any place within the city.

Just two blocks away, you can see the river flowing through the city.

But unlike Venice, where the entire city floats on the water, it is still based on a land-based city.

"But if the rainy season comes, floods will occur."

"Wouldn't that flood the city?"

This question naturally came to Linsey's mind.

The seasons in the Courtyard in the Forest are not distinct; rather, the weather is dominated by the interweaving of the rainy and dry seasons.

After walking for a while, Linsey stopped thinking about the problem.

Because he realized the nature of this world:

"After all, there are awakened individuals managing it; perhaps they have a way to deal with it?"

Linsey's thoughts gradually shifted to the true purpose of her trip.

The doctor who treated the organizer's injuries— Mr. Tang.

"So, let's go to the City Hall or something similar first and ask about the situation."

"Moreover, the other party is not related to me at all."

"To entrust this treatment, there will probably be some price to pay."