Hunting in the Town

The tracking finally yielded results, and Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

"Qiluo dares to leave such a blatant message; it seems the person on the other end doesn't have any magic users," Zijin judged. "You're about to face an all-melee class."

"Understood." Su Ming put on his cloak and rode off, following the snowmobile's tracks.

This journey was a bit longer, and as we went on, our destination became clearer: the nearby Shafeng'er Town.

This gang of robbers was clearly not just brazen; they chose their hideouts in places with convenient living and transportation.

The outline of a town gradually appeared ahead, with watchtowers atop the city gates. Su Ming stopped approaching from a considerable distance. He found a snow pit, covered his snowmobile with a camouflage cloth, and piled snow on it. Then, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed towards the Shafeng'er Town.

Although it's called a town, it's more like a small city. The Shafeng'er Town isn't small, and it has a low wall around it. At the gate, a shivering soldier stopped him and demanded three copper coins as an entrance fee.

It was already past five o'clock, and the sky was pitch black. The town lights were not dense, so Su Ming found a quiet corner and launched the drone.

The drone took off manually in the cold wind, its camera scanning the streets. The streets were deserted, with few people out and about, except for the town government office in the center, which was brightly lit, seemingly hosting a lively banquet.

After a week of searching, Su Ming found the tallest building to be a spire. He zoomed in and discovered it was actually a church of the Church of the God of Light.

"There's a church in such a remote place?" he muttered to himself.

The church's exterior was simple; the only expense was probably in its height. At the top of the spire was a statue of a radiant angel. The angel wore a wreath on its head, and Su Ming controlled the drone to land steadily on it.

Once the relay communication was established, he contacted Zijin.

"Ailisha, I tracked them into the Shafeng'er Town," he said, offering a guess. "Could it be that the lord himself stole from them?"

To satisfy his own desires, the lord sent his men to impersonate bandits and kidnap people in various places.

"That's impossible," Hansite denied. "The lord can just conscript maids; after all, the people are all his private property."

He can do whatever he wants.

Su Ming's understanding was once again challenged. He calmed himself down, "What should I do now?"

"Let's investigate the tavern first," said Zijin.

Su Ming adjusted his attire. He put on a tattered cloak to cover the overly exquisite appearance of the forbidden magic cloak. Then he slung a double-barreled shotgun made by dwarves over his back, with ammunition hanging from his waist, pretending to be an adventurer gunslinger.

With a good communication signal, Zijin connected to the drone's camera and looked down at the town from above.

"The image is very clear, I can see you, Su Ming," she said.

Where is the tavern located?

Zijin rotated the camera and quickly located the tavern, guiding Su Ming there.

"Huh, is this the Church of Light?" she noticed as well.

"Should we set it on fire?" Su Ming asked. There seemed to be hardly anyone inside the church, but the house couldn't be left unattended.

"No!" Zijin immediately stopped her. "The Northern Lands is a place of exile. There are many members here who have been ostracized and driven away by the church authorities."

Su Ming originally wanted to ask if there were factions within the Church of Light, but before he could say it, he thought it was pointless—any large organization is like that.

The harsh environment and terrible conditions of the Northern Lands were indeed the best place to exile political enemies and ostracize dissidents.

"Are there many people like this?" he asked.

"What kind of trouble did the Divine Covenant Faction cause?" Zijin replied. "The Covenant, huh? It's those people at the top of the church now, claiming they've signed a pact with God, that their families will serve the light for generations and dedicate their lives to God."

Su Ming sneered. Sure enough, both sides portrayed hereditary succession as something so refined and elegant.

"But in the last twenty years, many outstanding commoner clergy have emerged, seriously threatening these 'servants of God' who dedicate themselves to the church," Zijin continued. "They are almost all exiled to the Northern Lands, which has practically become a formal certification of elite status."

"You want to use them?" Su Ming quickly understood.

"Of course," Zijin affirmed. "There are quite a few people like this now, and they're starting to form a faction in the Northern Lands, calling themselves the Northern Flow Commoner Faction. Most of the clergy in these outlying towns belong to this category."

"That's something we should take advantage of," Su Ming agreed.

Differentiated treatment and division are key points emphasized by political teachers. Especially when facing a powerful force like the Church of Light, utilizing its internal opponents is inevitable.

Unfortunately, the Northern Flow Faction declined somewhat and was even exiled to a remote place far from the core.

"But the Divine Covenant Faction within the church is really useless," Su Ming complained. "They control all the resources, how did they manage to get so many ordinary people to rise up?"

Although the upper class may gradually become corrupt, the means of solidifying class positions are the fundamental skill and cornerstone of the existence of these vested interest groups.

"That's all the information I have," Zijin replied. "I've only been freed from the Tower Spirit's clutches for a few months."

****

During the conversation, Su Ming had already found the tavern in the town. It looked somewhat dilapidated, with the door half open and a heavy windproof curtain hanging at the entrance.

Su Ming pushed open the curtain, and a wave of heat mixed with alcohol rushed towards him.

It was noisy and smelly inside. There were quite a few guests at a glance; it seemed like everyone who had left town was here.

Su Ming squeezed through the gaps between the crowded tables and sat down at the bar. He looked around; most people had dark beer in their glasses, the liquid containing many impurities and sediment. A few people were drinking vodka, which had a pungent smell and a cheap, sour taste.

Judging from the color, they should all be made from sweet potatoes.

This is a privately owned pub, and the person standing behind the bar is the owner. Su Ming knocked on the bar and ordered a whiskey. The pub owner's eyes lit up, and his attitude softened considerably. He carefully poured the drink and brought it to Su Ming.

Su Ming picked up his wine glass and inquired, "Has a stranger named Joseph recently come here?"

The tavern owner thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Looks like you arrived first." He handed over a piece of paper and a pen. "You can write down any messages you have. I'll pass them on to Joseph if I run into him."

A few other patrons nearby chimed in, "Guests who drink good wine get different treatment!"

This was an era when communication was underdeveloped, and letters were still the mainstream. In big cities, rune newspapers based on communication towers were the fastest way to communicate. If two people who lived far apart agreed to meet in a certain place, they would often not run into each other.

The established practice is that whoever arrives first leaves a message at the local tavern, waiting for the other person to visit. The tavern's revenue...

This is the fine wine that Su Ming ordered.

He clearly ordered very good drinks; the owner even provided him with paper and pen.

Su Ming feigned hesitation, "No, he must have arrived before me—have any outsiders come to this town recently?"

The tavern owner raised an eyebrow, but for the sake of this glass of whiskey, he still pointed out, "That's the head of the local security team over there; you can ask him for information."

Su Ming looked in the direction he pointed and saw a very burly middle-aged man with a full beard, holding a glass of cheap liquor in his hand. Around his neck hung a wooden holy emblem, which upon closer inspection resembled leaf carvings, belonging to the God of Nature Oubai Hai.

Due to the harsh environment, God of Nature were widely worshipped among the people of the Northern Lands. They would pray for rain during droughts and for sunshine and calm during the rainy season. This extremely utilitarian behavior resulted in a large number of believers, but no clergy or church existed.

Of course, the doctrines of the God of Nature are quite rambling.

The sheriff, having apparently overheard the conversation, approached and said, "Hey, out-of-towner! Buy me a whiskey and I'll help you find Joseph."

"Deal!" Su Ming perfectly feigned a pained yet generous expression. The tavern owner's eyes crinkled with laughter; he couldn't earn this much from these penniless bastards in a whole night.

The middle-aged man raised his glass, clinked it over, and swaggered at everyone in the tavern, earning a chorus of boos in return. Distilled spirits made from barley were the most luxurious treat this group could afford.

"That kid got incredibly lucky!" several familiar patrons joked.

The middle-aged man then carefully took a sip, savored it, and let out a sound of admiration.

"A pleasure to meet you, generous guest!" the man said to Su Ming. "My name is Rupert. There are few outsiders here this time of year, and the Joseph you mentioned isn't here."

"Joseph himself may not have arrived, but his companions have," Su Ming said. "But all I know is Joseph's name, which is troublesome."

"Is it an individual or a group?" Rupert asked.

"A group of people, probably three or more," Su Ming replied.

"That makes it much easier to find targets," Rupert replied. "There are two groups. One group is staying at the inn near the east gate; you can go there directly. The other group of four arrived ten days ago and are staying at Old Luo's house on the north side of town."

"Does their house have a cellar?" Su Ming asked.

"All our houses have cellars," Rupert replied. "Old Luo said he's a relative from the Kingdom. Coming all the way from the south in this freezing weather, damn it, his relative's brain must be rusted—oh, what was I going to say? His house has a huge cellar!"

As Rupert spoke, he took another sip. The whiskey was much stronger than what he usually drank, and he couldn't help but loosen his collar and exhale sharply.

"Thanks!" Su Ming said to Rupert. The inn was not suitable for hiding the kidnapped girl, so the only suitable target was obviously Old Luo's house.

He asked about the exact location of Old Luo's house and inquired about Old Luo. He was a merchant who regularly traveled between Moon Bay City, making a living by selling goods, and was known for his friendly demeanor.

Su Ming deduced that the businessman was involved in the crime, and might even have been the ringleader.

Whiskey is a strong liquor, so he didn't dare drink too much. Disguised as an alchemist, he put down the half-empty bottle, tossed aside a silver coin, and got up to leave.

"Heh heh," Rupert called after him, pointing to the glass he'd left behind, "You're not coming back, are you? Well, this glass of wine—"

"If you don't mind, feel free to do as you please," Su Ming said.

"I'll repay you with this drink!" Rupert raised his second glass and made a toasting gesture towards Su Ming.

The tavern erupted in boos again, and Rupert even opened his mouth and started singing.

****

Back on the street, Su Ming pressed the button on his earphones and synchronized the latest information with Zijin.

"Four people, most likely all Intermediate Rank combatants."

Zijin thought for a moment, "Wait for me to come. We'll launch a lightning attack, then take everyone with us."

The Shafeng'er Town is about 35 kilometers away from where the Youth Civilization is docked. If the Zijin flies over, it will only take 15 minutes.

Su Ming thought for a moment and rejected the suggestion. She might not have been discovered on her way here, but once she made a move, her identity would be easily exposed.

After all, the scholar was extremely famous.

It would be unwise to reveal one's identity over such a trivial matter at the very beginning of a trip to the Northern Lands.

On the contrary, Su Ming was quite unfamiliar with this world.

"Four Intermediate Rank, I should be able to defeat them with Qiluo's help," Su Ming said.

"Then you'll have to go all out," Zijin said. "Have you figured out how to conceal your identity as a necromancer?"

"I already have a plan," Su Ming replied.

He easily found the location of Lao Luo's house, a two-story building. As expected of a shrewd businessman, the house was beautifully decorated and surrounded by a fairly large yard.

Because of the restrictions of the magic-forbidden cloak, Su Ming's perception was greatly reduced, but he could still vaguely see someone moving around in the house through the dim window glass and light. "Since the mastermind behind this can't be the lord, can we use the power of the town's security team?" Su Ming asked Zijin.

"I advise against it. You're a necromancer; your identity can't withstand scrutiny," the experienced wanted criminal said. "That security captain is just an ordinary Intermediate Rank fighter; he won't be of much use. His presence will only hinder your actions."

"That's true." Su Ming nodded.

He walked to the vicinity of the house and casually cast Wind Message Spell. He had no specific target, but the unicorn, as expected, overheard him and immediately responded, [Yo, handsome! Good evening!]

"Hey, you!" Su Ming said angrily, "[You acted without saying a word.]"

[No, I arranged for a flock of sparrows to deliver the message.]

Su Ming recalled the fried snacks they had eaten during afternoon tea, and her tone was anything but unconvincing. "[We definitely didn't receive any letter!]"

The unicorn was somewhat suspicious, so to be on the safe side, she specially found about twenty sparrows to accompany her, and tied letters to the legs of three of them.

[Okay, it was my oversight—it's really kind of you to come looking for me.] Qiluo rarely admitted her mistake. [Has Ailisha arrived?]

No, it's just me. How many enemies are there?

[There's a warrior, an archer, and a thief, all Intermediate Rank —oh, that thief is more troublesome than usual; you'll have to be careful when fighting him.] Qiluo replied, [There's also a Apprentice named Karami whose profession I don't know, and the last one, Old Luo, is just a regular merchant.]