Unaware of the mercenaries' violent reaction to the wine, Sun Fei left the tavern. It was still early, and Angela and Jima hadn't finished their sightseeing, so the three continued strolling the streets. By midday, the crowds had thinned out slightly. The autumn Sun wasn't scorching, and the sky was high and clear. As they walked, pointing and gesturing, the three quickly forgot about what had happened in the tavern and their mood brightened again.
Hot Springs Pass known as the economic and political hub of the northern region of the empire, with all kinds of functional areas. Sun Fei carefully selected some places that interested him to visit. The three of them first went to a medium-sized trading venue in the city where an auction was being held. Sun Fei carefully observed the whole process and understood a bit about it, but unfortunately he did not find any items that interested him. After staying for a while, he left.
After browsing the auction house, Sun Fei asked for directions to the largest money window in Hot Springs Pass.
In the past, money windows were similar to banks, backed by state apparatuses or powerful noble families. They were responsible for circulating and exchanging imperial gold coins, as well as rare treasures like magic stones. They played a vital role in the economic system of the Azeroth Continent, where magical civilization was fully embodied. This ensured the chain-like nature of money windows; if you had sufficient status or wealth, you could immediately become a VIP. A single crystal magic card allowed you to freely exchange valuables at any money window within the empire, eliminating the insecurity and inconvenience of carrying large sums of money around.
However, for Sun Fei, with the vast Diablo World behind him, the convenience and security offered by the money window were meaningless. But considering that a VIP-level magic crystal card from the largest money window in the Zenit Empire might have a natural advantage in terms of showing off, and might come in handy sometime in the future, Sun Fei didn't hesitate. He took out 10 high-grade fire magic stones, which were essentially [common rubies], and exchanged them for 100,000 gold coins. This gave him an amethyst magic card, enough to impress people.
After leaving the money window, Sun Fei felt like a nouveau riche. After all, the sense of envy brought by ten [ordinary rubies] was completely different from that of 100,000 heavy gold coins. The feeling of holding the purple magic crystal card in his arms was truly intoxicating. His Majesty the King secretly hummed to himself, "I'm making money! I'm making money! I don't even know how to say it! I have a Nokia in my left hand and a Motorola in my right. I drive Mercedes-Benz and ride in BMW. I no longer have to worry about night checks and neighborhood committee aunties..." He laughed triumphantly, and a sudden urge arose to embrace Angela and Jima in his arms.
The three then visited many other places: the Magic Guild, the Mercenary Hall, the area beneath the Magic Tower, the vicinity of the city walls, the blacksmith's shop, the clothing shop, the Soros Chamber of Commerce's branch in Hot Springs Pass, the Holy Church Cathedral, the slave market, the trading market, and the legendary black market. The handsome men and beautiful women left their mark on all these places. Sun Fei got to see much of the information he wanted, and his understanding of this world was increasing at an alarming rate. In the end, if it weren't for the relatively strict security of the Hot Springs Pass garrison's [ Gale Legion ] camp, which strictly prohibited strangers from entering, His Majesty the King might have actually gone into the Barracks to see for himself whether the [ Gale Legion ], one of the ten great legions of the Zenit Empire, was superior to his own three hundred Urban Management.
By two or three in the afternoon, Angela and Jima were exhausted, their feet almost swollen from walking, but their enthusiasm for the trip had not diminished. Women are indeed terrifying creatures when it comes to certain obsessions. Sun Fei bought a comfortable magic carriage and acted as the driver, carrying the two beautiful girls on their continued journey.
The assassin had thoroughly indulged in the intoxicating pleasures of luxury cars and beautiful women that he had never experienced in his previous life. Today, His King was no longer the mysterious, legendary master who defeated the Golden Knight, nor the aloof and unassailable ruler of a nation. He was merely a vain, boastful young man with the same penchant for showing off and wicked humor. Seeing the envious looks from the people lining the streets after seeing the magical carriage, Sun Fei felt incredibly smug. He wished he could roll down the window and let those guys see. "Not only do I have a nice car, but I also have beautiful women! Haha, you'll all be so envious!"
However, just as His King was at his most triumphant, his face gradually turned green.
"Uh... I'm lost."
Sun Fei found that after riding aimlessly for a while, he had no idea where he was. The number of pedestrians on the streets gradually decreased until they were almost gone. His professional-level terrible sense of direction once again came into play, and he soon lost his bearings. He maneuvered the carriage around and around in the increasingly narrow alleys, unable to find a way out or even return the way he came.
A dozen minutes later, the carriage entered a deserted and dirty urban area. The maze-like alleys and the slightly pungent stench in the air made it seem like a completely different world from the bustling and noisy place they had just left.
The streets were nearly deserted, with no vendors or shops in sight. Low, crooked wooden sheds and thatched houses leaned precariously against the sides of the street. Occasionally, one or two people would be seen, but they were disheveled, emaciated, and covered in black, foul-smelling sewage. Moldy garbage was strewn everywhere, and human corpses could even be faintly seen among the trash, rotting and repulsive. Packs of filthy, ferocious stray cats and dogs rummaged through the garbage heaps, their fur matted with grime and stinking, suggesting they were also living a miserable life.
"This seems to be the slums of Hot Springs Pass..." Sun Fei gradually understood something.
Looking around, he didn't rush to leave, because just then, the familiar, dark aura he had sensed from the black-clad youth in Cheng Qing Teng Tavern reappeared ahead. After a moment's thought, Sun Fei drove the carriage toward the direction of that dark aura.
Along the way, several women with sallow complexions, muscular bodies, and numb eyes stood on both sides of the street upon hearing the noise.
The weather was already quite cold in late autumn, but they were dressed very lightly, revealing their thin, shivering bodies. They stood there, gritting their teeth, and when they saw someone approaching, their eyes lit up, and they waved weakly. These were nightingales.
The way these prostitutes traded was very simple. Sun Fei saw several ruthless and vicious mercenaries pick out a slightly plump woman from among several others, then push aside the other disappointed and pleading women, and impatiently pull down their pants and have sex with her right there in the street. The woman's reward was merely a piece of dry, black bread. Perhaps she was starving; even though the mercenary was still on top of her, grinning and thrusting, she had already eagerly stuffed the bread into her mouth...
Sun Fei sighed; he couldn't change the situation on his own.
Crime was rampant in such an area. After walking a while longer, screams and pleas echoed from both sides of the filthy, smelly street. Sun Fei's gaze caught a glimpse of a recent massacre: an old man with white hair had half his head severed by two fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boys with embroidered knives. His withered hand fell to the ground, and the two half-naked boys were fighting over half a pickled radish, gnawing on it. Sensing Sun Fei's gaze, they brandished their bloodstained, rusty knives, their eyes gleaming with a ferocious, beast-like light...
After walking for more than ten minutes, the aura became increasingly distinct. Turning a corner, a relatively clean open space appeared ahead. The open space was enclosed by a wooden fence, and dozens of low wooden huts were built on the west side, scattered in an orderly fashion. In the center of the open space, Sun Fei indeed saw York, the tall and strong man he had met before at the Ivy Shop, and Philip, the black boy. The two were leading more than twenty slender children around the age of 10, practicing their boxing moves with great skill.
"Stand up straight... Keep your steps steady... Tuck in your stomach... Yes, just like that!"
The tall, burly mercenary, Old York, stood with his back to the children, demonstrating a simple set of boxing techniques. He frowned, seemingly burdened by unhappiness, but when he sensed the children's admiring and grateful gazes, he relaxed somewhat, forcing a smile as he continued teaching the children to box.
Philip, the black boy, stood among his companions, practicing earnestly along with them.
The familiar, chilling aura emanating from the dark-skinned boy was now becoming increasingly clear, confirming Sun Fei Sun Fei's suspicions: this boy harbored a secret unknown to others.
The clatter of hooves reached the open space, and the children stopped first, staring wide-eyed at the magnificent magic carriage. Their eyes flickered with envy, surprise, and fear. A boy with a large head and a bowl cut gently tugged at the hem of the tall, burly mercenary, York.
" Little Andrew, why aren't you practicing your boxing?... Huh?"
York turned around and saw the magic carriage. He exclaimed in surprise, as such a noble carriage was rarely seen in the slums of Hot Springs Pass. But when he saw the person sitting on the carriage shaft smiling at him, he was stunned. He gasped, rubbed his eyes, and stood there dumbfounded.
"What, Uncle York, you don't recognize me anymore?" Sun Fei jumped down and said with a smile.
Behind him, the door of the magic carriage opened, and Angela and the blonde little Loli Jima, peeked out. Upon seeing the scene before them, the blonde little Loli immediately glared angrily. The little girl hadn't forgotten the burly man's disloyal departure from the tavern earlier that day. Clearly, York and the black boy's choices did not align with Loli 'Jima definition of courage and Glory.
"I know him, I know him! You... you are... His Alexander?" York was filled with shame and didn't know what to do. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over and knelt down in front of Sun Fei with a thud, startling the three of them.
First update