"So you said, this book can predict the future?"
Xia Lin looked at the cheerful Tiefling sorceress walking in front and couldn't help but ask again.
"More than just predicting the future!"
Rick Xi Dark Flame turned around, and there were several colorful ribbons tied to her horns, swaying in the sunlight.
"That is our Thieves' Descendants's family heirloom! It is said that it records the real names of all the demon lords from the first floor to the ninety-ninth floor of Abyss, and even the color of Goddess of Magic's underwear! You can learn the forbidden spell just by looking at it!"
Xia Lin listened with an expressionless face, already labeling this so-called "encyclopedia" as "street stall literature" in his mind.
"Let me tell you, last time a guy asked Old Ink how to pursue the girl of his dreams. Old Ink flipped through the book and told him that he had to go to which street and corner on a specific day to meet the destined person!"
"Then what?" Celia asked curiously.
"Then we really met that guy!" Rick hope waved her arms excitedly, "Although he was kicked into the sewer by the girl in the end, we did meet him!"
"And more!" Rick xi continued, "Once, a businessman asked Old Ink how to make a fortune, Old Ink
The storybook says that you can find treasures by digging through the trash on Seventh Avenue in Dongcheng District.
66
"What's the result?"
"In the end, the businessman really found a magic ring worth three hundred Gold Coins!" Rick hope blinked, "Although the ring was recognized as stolen by the city guard, and the businessman was arrested and imprisoned for half a year, he did find it!"
Xia Lin support amount.
"So the characteristic of this book is that everything it says is right, but the results are very misleading?"
"Oh, you humans just don't understand!" Rick xi rolled his eyes, "Knowledge is knowledge, and how you use it is your own business. Anyway, Old Ink never lies to others."
Sera had a hard time holding back his laughter.
"Don't worry, Xia Lin." She patted his shoulder, "The knowledge about Mystery Lock shouldn't be that confusing... probably."
"You probably make me very uneasy."
The further they walked, the more shabby the streets became.
The towering Noble District buildings were gradually replaced by low wooden houses, the stone roads turned into muddy paths, and the air was filled with
Damp musty smell and sewer stench.
Finally, Rick xi stopped at a narrow alley.
"Here we are." She pointed ahead, "That's Undercurrent Street."
Xia Lin looked up.
In front of him was a scene completely different from the Nirose above.
The densely packed buildings are like randomly stacked building blocks, layer upon layer, with wooden boards and ropes in the middle to build complex passages.
The streets were crowded with various alien races, Tiefling, Half-Orc, Goblin, and even a few lycanthropes.
But the strange thing is that although the environment is dirty and messy, it is surprisingly orderly.
No one was fighting in the street, no one was making any noise, everyone was doing their own thing quietly.
"This is Thieves' Descendants's territory." Rick hope said in a low voice, "Rule 1: Don't cause trouble. Rule 2: Remember rule 1."
"Understood." Xia Lin nodded.
They walked into Undercurrent Street.
Immediately, countless pairs of eyes fell on them.
Especially Kade.
This tall, upright paladin, who exudes the aura of "I am a good guy", looks particularly dazzling in this gray area.
"Should I cover my face?" Kade asked in a low voice.
"It's too late." Sera sighed, "You have Iomedae's loyal servant written all over you, whether you cover it or not, it doesn't matter."
A little Tiefling, only seven or eight years old, dragging a disabled tail, timidly poked his head out of the alley, holding a broken bowl in his hand, and shook it towards Kade.
Kade's steps stopped.
The creed of the paladin engraved in his bones made him subconsciously reach for the money bag at his waist.
"Poor child--
As soon as he took out a silver coin, his wrist was firmly pressed by a cold hand.
"Take it back."
Sera's voice is as cold as ice.
"What's wrong?" Kade looked at her puzzled, "He looks very hungry, this is just a silver coin----"
"Here, that's poison."
Sera let go of his hand, glanced at the greedy eyes in the surrounding shadows, and then stared coldly at the begging child.
The child was so frightened by Sera's momentum that he shrank back, but there was no gratitude in his eyes, only a regret that he had missed his prey.
"Look at his gestures clearly." Sera whispered, "That's Thieves' Descendants's observation post. If you give money, dozens of beggars will surround you in the next second and strip you down to your pants."
She turned her head and looked at Kade, her tone softened a bit, but still serious. "Put away your overflowing sympathy, paladin. Alms is insult, trading is respect. If you want to help him, find him a job, even if you let him shine your shoes."
Kade was stunned for a moment and silently put the silver coin back into his pocket.
"Been taught a lesson."
After passing through several narrower alleyways, Rick xi stopped in front of a shop filled with strange clocks.
"This is it." She pointed to the signboard, which had a ghost hand stealing time, "Old Ink's
store."
The store door was unlocked. When I opened the door, a noisy "ticking" sound came to my face.
There are all kinds of clocks hanging on the walls, ceilings, and counters. Some move fast, some move slowly, and some even move backwards.
In the deepest part of the shop, behind a huge table piled with parchment, sat a young Tiefling.
He doesn't look old at all, it can even be said to be a little too young. He has dark purple skin, a pair of black goat horns that bend backwards, and wears a leather vest decorated with various pockets and hidden buttons.
The most surprising thing is that he has four quills suspended in mid-air at the moment.
Under the control of Mage Hand, these four pens were writing rapidly on four different account books at the same time, making rustling sounds. And his hands were not idle, playing with a Gold Coins, letting it roll flexibly between his knuckles.
"Welcome!"
The young Tiefling didn't even raise his head, and the pen he was writing didn't even pause. "If you are buying a clock, you can choose it yourself at the counter on the left, and there will be no bargaining. If you are selling stolen goods, go to the old blind man at the back door. If you are looking for trouble——"
The four quill pens suddenly stopped, and their pen tips pointed at the door. "----When you go out, turn left and you will see the septic tank. We will not send it."
"What, it's Rick xi."
"Bringing guests?"
"Yes, Old Ink." Rick xi said with a smile, "They want to read that book."
"Oh?"
Tiefling, known as Old Ink, finally raised his head. His pair of light yellow vertical pupils scanned the group of Xia Lin, and finally settled on Xia Lin.
"One Magic Warrior, one paladin, one----huh? Interesting Priest, and one----" He glanced at Sera and whistled, "----same race?"
Xia Lin opened [Item Appraisal].
[Old Ink]
[Race: Tiefling]
[Occupation: Arcane Thug Lv.10]
[Status: shrewd, greedy, calculating]
[Faith: Volgiv Devto (that damn thief demigod)]
[Note: Don't be fooled by his appearance. He has at least twelve throwing knives hidden in his pockets, and each one is coated with poison. The god he believes in has a famous saying: "If it's not nailed to the ground, it's mine."]
Level 10 arcane thug.
Xia Lin narrowed his eyes. This is a very difficult profession that combines the cunning of the rogue and the cunning of the mage.
He stood up and walked around the table to the four people.
"My name is Old Ink, although I'm not old at all." He grinned, "This nickname comes from the fact that I stole a bottle of ink when I was a child and knocked it over. My whole body was covered in black. When I was caught, I looked like ink Elf."
He shrugged. "As the great Voldjiv said, every thief has a stupid nickname, but only the surviving thieves can turn stupid nicknames into legends."
He patted his chest. "My goal in this life is to become the second Voljiv. Although I am still just a pawn shop owner...
But!"
He raised a finger. "As Voldjiv said, today's small pawn shop owner will be Temple's big thief tomorrow."
Rick hope was holding back laughter and her shoulders were shaking.
"Okay, okay, don't be poor." She interrupted Old Ink's speech, "Where is the book?"
"Oh, sister, it's boring for you to be so direct." Old Ink said with a playful smile, "In business, you have to pay attention to taste."
He walked back behind the desk and took out an exquisite wooden box from the drawer.
The wooden box was opened, and a palm-sized black booklet lay quietly inside.
There is no text on the cover, only a constantly changing rune.
"[The greatest encyclopedia in the world]." Old Ink said softly, "This book records interesting knowledge about countless worlds. From the secret history of ancient empires to events that may happen in the future, from alchemical recipes to the real names of demon lords."
"As long as you ask the right questions, it will tell you the answers."
Celia couldn't help but get closer. "Is it really so magical?"
"Of course." Old Ink smiled proudly, "However, the book is very challenging. It only answers questions that it thinks are valuable.
If you ask what you're going to eat tomorrow, it'll blow you away."
"How does that count as valuable?" Kade asked.
"This is art." Old Ink snapped his fingers, "For example, you can't ask how to solve this Mystery Lock, but you can ask what the general solution principle of this type of Mystery Lock is."
Xia Lin is thoughtful.
"So, can we read this book?"
"Of course." Old Ink said with a smile, "But there are conditions."
"How much money do you need?" Kade asked "Money?"
Old Ink seemed to have heard some joke and laughed exaggeratedly. He casually opened the drawer beside him, which was full of Gold Coins and gems, and even a few rings that shone with magic light.
"Master Paladin, do you think I am in need of money?"
He grabbed a handful of gems and let them slip through his fingers like sand. "Thieves' Descendants is never short of money. We have many channels and connections. As long as there are locks in the world, we will not worry about running out of food."
His expression became serious. "What I lack is a scavenger."
"Scavenger?"
"Yes." Old Ink blinked, "Although Voljiv will save every Tiefling thrown into prison by humans, you can't trouble him every time, right?"
He paused. "So there are some things that we have to solve ourselves."
Old Ink pulled up a chair and sat down, crossing his legs.
"You know Mad Rat, right?"
"I know." Xia Lin nodded, "Sewer Market's gang leader is dead."
"Yes, he's dead." Old Ink grinned, "It's a good death. That bastard always steals our business."
"But the problem is that after his death, there was a vacuum in the sewer power."
He picked up a map from the table and spread it out.
The complex pipeline of the Nirose sewer is drawn on the map, and several areas are marked in red.
"The remnants of Mad Rat have now formed a new gang, called the Iron Fang Gang." Old Ink pointed to a few red dots on the map, "They are trying to make a comeback."
"This is none of our business. In places like sewers, you can mess up as much as you like."
"But."
Old Ink's tone became cold. "These bastards don't follow the rules."
"They not only grabbed the territory, but also robbed a batch of alchemy goods from Thieves' Descendants. That batch of goods is worth nine hundred Gold Coins. More importantly, there are several bottles of [Mist Form Potion] in it, which we use to save people."
He stood up and walked to Xia Lin: "The new leader is a lunatic. He doesn't understand rules and reverence, and thinks that a few fanatics can be tyrannical."
"Help me clean them up."
Old Ink stretched out his hand. "You can waive the goods, but the Iron Tooth Gang must disappear. If you do this, I will lend you [the greatest encyclopedia in the world] for one day."
Xia Lin looked at his outstretched hand and did not take it immediately.
"Are there any other conditions?"
"Clever." Old Ink smiled, "As Voldjiv said, always ask clearly about the fine print of the contract."
He raised three fingers. "First, the leader of the Iron Fang Gang must die and his identity must be confirmed."
"Second, if you find our goods and bring them back intact, I will give you an additional hundred Gold Coins."
"Third.
His smile became meaningful, "After this is done, you will be Thieves' Descendants's friends. This identity, at some point, is more valuable than Gold Coins."
Xia Lin was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he reached out and held Old Ink's hand.
"Deal."
Old Ink shook it hard. "It's so nice! As Voldjiev said, the real deal doesn't require nonsense."
He let go of his hand and picked up a scroll from the table. "This is the latest information about the Iron Fang Gang's stronghold. They are hiding in the abandoned reservoir in the west area of the sewer."
"There are about thirty to forty people, and the leader is Half-Orc, named Tieya Tog. This guy is a fanatical believer under Mad Rat and believes in Pazuzu."
Xia Lin took the scroll and browsed it quickly.
"Got it."
He turned around and looked at his teammates. "How's it going? Do you have any comments?"
Kade shook his head. "Cleaning up Cultist is exactly what I want."
Celia smiled, "We have to prepare for Mage Tower anyway. It's good to warm up in advance."
Sera shrugged. "I just want to get the book as soon as possible. These bastards will die early and be born again."
"Very good." Xia Lin put away the scroll, "Then let's do it now...
"Wait." Old Ink called them, "It's daytime now, and there are city guards patrolling the sewers."
He looked at a clock on the wall. "The operation will take place in the early hours of tonight. It is the best time for the city guards to change shifts at that time."
"And.
He took out four black Badge from the drawer and handed them to everyone. "Bring this with you. This is the pass for Thieves' Descendants. There are some... creatures in the sewer. They will not attack you if they see this."
Xia Lin took over from Badge.
Badge is a black metal product with a broken horn and a cross pattern of a dagger engraved on it.
[Thieves' Descendants Pass]
[Quality: Fine+]
[Effect: When wearing this Badge, you will not be hostile within the sphere of influence of Thieves' Descendants. Some creatures that have an agreement with Thieves' Descendants will also remain neutral towards you.]
[Note: Do not wave this thing in front of the city guards unless you want to go to jail.]
"Thank you." Xia Lin pinned Badge to the inside of his collar.
"You're welcome." Old Ink said with a smile, "Remember, you have to do a good job, but be low-key. As Voldjiv said, the best assassination is to make people think you have never been here."
"Oh, it doesn't seem like he said this."
On the way back, Kade couldn't help but ask, "Xia Lin, why did you accept the mission without hesitation?"
"Because this is the simplest task." Xia Lin smiled, "I like going to a place and killing a few monsters the most.
It's my mission."
"No need to use your brain, no need to engage in politics, no need to deal with nobles."
He stretched and said, "Just go in, chop, and then come out. How great."
At the same time.
Nirose, Upper City, a noble manor.
Sunlight shines through the stained glass windows into the spacious living room, casting colorful light and shadow on the marble floor.
More than a dozen noble ladies sat around an exquisite tea table filled with expensive porcelain and snacks.
And sitting at the main seat was a young woman with silver hair.
Sky·Star emblem.
She wore an elegant lake blue dress, her long silver hair was styled into a delicate bun, and she had a decent smile on her face.
"Miss Xinghui, you look really good today." A fat lady complimented.
"Thank you." Sky picked up the teacup and took a sip, "It's just that the quality of my sleep has improved a bit recently."
"Oh? What secret recipe was used?" Another lady immediately came over, "Can you share it?"
"There is no secret recipe." Sky smiled, "I just learned to relax."
She put down her tea cup and stood up gracefully. "Sorry, everyone. I need to go to the bathroom."
"Of course, of course."
Sky walked out of the living room, and the smile on his face immediately faded a bit.
She walked to the end of the corridor, checked that no one was around, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
(So tired...)
She rubbed her stiff cheeks.
Once, she was so irritated by this kind of aristocratic tea party that she wanted to run away immediately.
But now, she can cope with it like a fish in water.
Sky remembered Xia Lin's words.
"Power is not achieved through fists, but through connections, resources and intelligence."
She took a deep breath, readjusted her expression, and prepared to return to the living room.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered something.
(By the way, before setting off this morning, Mina said...)
This morning, Mina swore to her. "Sky, I can make great achievements this time without you! Moreover, you are always with me, and others are not fools. Sooner or later, they will see the flaws. You don't have to accompany me for this operation!"
At that time Sky was still a little worried, but Mina looked so confident that she couldn't say much.
(It should be... no problem, right?)
Sky frowned.
Today's mission is to assault a small cult stronghold, which is not too dangerous.
Moreover, Mina brings five experienced Inquisitor, so they should be able to handle it.
But she didn't know why, but she always felt uneasy.
(Forget it, let's finish dealing with these ladies first.)
Sky shook his head and straightened his skirt.
She put on her perfect smile again and pushed open the door of the living room.
"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long."
"Where is it! Come on, Miss Xing Hui, we are about to talk about the charity ball next month..
The sun is still warm and the fragrance of tea is still intoxicating.
But deep down in Sky's heart, that uneasiness lingered no matter what.
(I hope Mina won't mess things up...)
She prayed silently in her heart.
Then, she stood up to greet a nobleman who came to say hello, with a perfect smile on her face.