Chapter 73: Soren’s Banner! (Third Update)
City of Wealth.
The shadows left by the recent chaos and slaughter have not yet dissipated, and the city still appears somewhat desolate. There are not many pedestrians on the streets, as much of the trade has shifted to Shipwreck Bay. As a result, the lives of the lower-class citizens in the City of Wealth have also become difficult. In previous years, there was an abundance of work available at the docks during this time, but now workers have to be choosy about jobs. Many families who relied on selling their labor have become very impoverished.
Especially with the arrival of the New Year, and the spread of internal chaos across the continent, the gradually rising food prices have made their situation even more dire.
Many people have started to regret their choices.
That night, many lost relatives and friends, but after that night they realized that the losses extended far beyond just that.
The Paladins have left.
They did succeed in changing the situation here and reducing the evil, but they did not allow the impoverished to live the lives they desired, because they are the weak, and the weak are so fragile after the chaos. The gang powers in the City of Wealth have diminished greatly, as many gangs were wiped out that night; however, the disappearance of these gangs has left many gaps, leading to numerous bloody incidents in the struggle for those interests. Since that day, the curfew in the City of Wealth has not been lifted, and guards patrol the streets every day.
The Temple also seems a bit silent.
They do not appear to have any plans regarding the gradually declining City of Wealth.
Maybe they have done something, or made other decisions.
No one knows what the Temple is planning; perhaps they do not care about the temporary decline, but for the lower-class citizens, they only know that life is becoming increasingly difficult. Food prices continue to rise, and job opportunities are dwindling. Merchants passing through no longer provide economic consumption, leading to a significant downturn for the businesses of courtesans and rakes; in the past, two Silvers could afford a moderately attractive courtesan, but now one Silver can secure two encounters, even allowing for a bit of flirtation.
In a corner of the street.
Two somewhat troubled shop owners are sitting together. One plump shop owner wipes his sweat and complains, “I heard there will be a war in the south! The prices for incoming goods have risen by 30%, and there’s much less being transported from the south; I’ve heard some trade routes have been cut off. There’s even talk of a Red Dragon appearing near White Horse City, sending everyone into a panic.”
The other, slimmer shop owner sighed in response, “That’s not too bad; we could have used the sea route. But now with all this, many merchants dare not come here. I’ve heard that in Taro Port and Shipwreck Bay, a Pirate King named Throat Cutter has risen. He is quite different from the previous Pirate Kings, as he doesn’t seem to enjoy raiding and even restricts others from doing so.”
“Now many merchants are heading to those two places.”
The plump shop owner paused in surprise and then asked, “Not raiding? How does he get his money? There are plenty of pirates making a living on the sea; if they aren’t raiding, won’t they all just starve?”
The slim shop owner glanced outside and answered, “I’m not too sure either.”
“But there must be other ways to make money. I’ve heard some pirate chiefs have turned to running good merchant caravans. Adding in the tributes from the sea, it should be enough to support a group of followers. Moreover, the trade from the Southern Coast is heavily supported by the Overseas Islands. The profits from there are substantial; one cargo can equal two or three years’ worth of our income.”
“By the way.”
“I recently heard that the one called Throat Cutter isn’t completely refraining from robbing merchants. It’s been said that in Taro Port and Shipwreck Bay, he’s been selling flags—black flags—that supposedly prevent pirates on the sea from attacking merchant ships. Those without flags, however, are unpredictable. Anyway, I’m not very clear on it; the world has been changing too fast recently, with events occurring every few days.”
“I’m quite worried lately.”
“I’m thinking about whether I should sell my shop and prepare to return to my estate in the countryside.”
The two continued their casual chat, discussing the recent happenings.
Suddenly!
They seemed to hear a scream, and immediately felt a shiver run down their spines. There has been quite a bit of chaos lately; just the day before, someone had been murdered in front of their shop at night. The two men, hearing the sound, dared not go closer but hurried to call for patrolling guards. By the time the guards arrived about ten minutes later, the alley where the sound had come from was already silent. Well, it was better this way—those who saw nothing, heard nothing, and knew nothing could live a little longer.
As they entered the alley, even the patrol guards couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath!
There were many corpses inside.
One bearded guard captain in full armor turned over a corpse and immediately grew serious. He looked around at the others, whose faces were not good, and said, “This is the work of a very powerful expert!”
“All these corpses died instantly; the time of death was no more than a minute apart. A skilled expert like this has probably crossed a threshold.”
“This is not something we can manage; let’s report it and let higher-ups handle it.”
There were twelve corpses on the ground.
All died with a single blow, with the time of death not exceeding a minute apart. The last cries seemed to be provoked by something else, otherwise there would have been no noise at all.
This already showcases Legendary Level combat power!
Not to mention, the guard captain noted that some of the corpses included an adventurer of comparable skill, including three who were all Third Tier Professionists.
The situation was reported quickly, but whether anyone would manage it from there remains uncertain.
………………
On the other side.
On a hidden beam in a house, a young man in a cloak sat at the corner, playing with a shiny gold coin in his hand, looking somewhat excited. The gold coin was quite special, not of the Gind style, nor did it bear the visage of Lady Wealth, but instead showed the likeness of another goddess. The coin had strange patterns on both sides that were not easily understood, yet they did not detract from the uniqueness that caught the eye at first glance.
The young man stood up, holding the coin towards the sea, smiling, “Fortune is truly on my side!”
“This time, not only did I land a major deal, but I also happened to encounter someone who found the legendary lucky coin from the underground ruins! It seems like the Goddess of Fortune is truly favoring me this time!”
“Throat Cutter, huh?”
“If I take you down this time, it will be a great harvest!”
……………… (To Be Continued ~^~)
