Becoming a chess player - this is how Duan Qing always deals with such problems when encountering such problems, because no matter how much secrecy there is, as long as someone wants to get it, it will definitely show their feet in specific actions, and it is never a good choice to put yourself on the opponent's chessboard, and the better way is to use the same identity and status as other chess players to compete for the final fruit, but if you want to put yourself on the same height, the intelligence and strength required are not easy to achieve.

Fortunately, Duan Qing has enough self-confidence and more and more intelligence networks worth using.

"Those people...... Mostly robbers? ”

In the early morning of the next day, Duan Qing, who had rushed to the stone forest camp outside the city early, got the answer to another question from the smiling butcher: "What do you mean by robber?" Do they all like to burn, kill, and plunder? ”

"Burning, killing, and looting is a bit exaggerated, but it's pretty much the same."

Uncle Smiling, who had been busy with the camp operation early in the morning, said without looking back: "Most of the outsiders from Etta County don't seem to be good people, and it's not just the players who are here, but also many aborigines from Etta County......

"Isn't the place where you were active before not as safe as the Free City?" Duan Qing asked in surprise, "Could it be that the counties under the flag of the principality have long been chaotic like this?" ”

"Of course...... No. ”

Putting down the wooden board in his hand, the smiling butcher took out a small carving knife from the pile of tools on the side, and replied in a low voice while slowly gesturing on the wooden board: "Our departure is only because of the change of our guild, and it has nothing to do with Etta County itself, and the reason why it has become like this seems to be because of ...... For the sake of the appearance of the Restoration. ”

"What? The Restorationists have revolted in Etashire? Didn't they start from the southern part of Xifeng County? ”

"I'm talking about the appearance of the Restorationists, not the Restorationists who actually occupied that place."

Putting down his carving knife, Uncle Smiling turned his head a little helplessly: "Because of the civil strife in Xifeng County, the county lord of Xifeng County returned to his house early with his troops to preside over the overall situation, and the county lord of Burns, who came with him...... I also led my own private soldiers back to Etta County, and I had already run out at that time, as did Brother Crab and Brother Knight, so we few of us who were in distress didn't know what happened to Eta County after that. ”

"According to the girl I left behind, Etta County then became chaotic as well." The smiling butcher whispered, "Many people have fled to other parts of the Principality in the turmoil. ”

“…… What is the cause of the unrest, does no one know? Duan Qing pondered and asked, "What does this have to do with the people who came to the City of Freedom?" ”

"It's probably because the restorers came out of the mountain, seeing that Xifeng County has become the miserable state it is now, and the current principality is unable to deal with this problem, many people have lost confidence." Uncle Smiling replied, "As for the people who have come here, most of them seem to be some new homeless people, or they want to find a safe place that the restorationists will not attack, and escape the coming war......"

"Hah, is Liberty City safe now? Who came up with this statement? Duan Qing sneered disdainfully: "Judging from the information we have...... The future of the Free City is completely uncertain. ”

"God knows who came out of it, and most of the idle players are following the trend anyway." Uncle Smiling also showed a helpless expression: "Just like us before, don't we also want to climb over the Falling Star Mountain and wander around?" What's more, there is now a battlefield that is breaking out and attracting everyone......"

"Two places, to be exact."

Looking at the distant sky in the west, Duan Qing's voice became low: "According to the news from the active regiment commander of our family, the battle on the side of Zaraha City seems to have entered a white-hot state, in addition to many players who have followed one after another, the defenders of the empire have also begun to expel the members of the principality who trespassed into the city without permission, and they don't know what the distant emperor is thinking, and he will neither attack nor retreat, it seems that he also wants to be like the Pamirs, and sit back and watch what kind of situation will develop in the main city of Feilong County in the end... …”

"Probably there is some other secret agreement, we don't know at all." The smiling butcher also speculated: "If you are over there now, maybe you can ask ...... based on your connections."

"Mengzhu is there, she can also ask." Duan Qing spread his hands: "And those people in the rivers and lakes are too, their prestige in the principality is also very high, right?" Including the countermeasures against these people who have restored the Magic Empire, they should be able to ask......"

"In short, the principality is now in a dilemma, the rise of the Restorationists is almost a foregone conclusion, from our point of view, we can only find a way to hold the land north of Karon Pass, and hope that they will not march west."

The low discussion gradually ended over time, and Duan Qing, who was wearing a gray cloak, also left the place, and the smiling uncle who looked at the other party and disappeared into the crowd also shook his head, and carved a few artistic words on the wooden board with the carving knife in his hand: "Alas, such a situation...... The world is so big, how can it be home. ”

"Smile...... Uncle. ”

A deep voice sounded in his ears, and the middle-aged man looked back to see that Captain Hansen, who had been in charge of guarding the camp, was standing behind him at this time: "That...... You ......"

"Ah, don't be so polite, I just asked you to call me Uncle Smiling, but I didn't let you treat me so politely." The smiling butcher hurriedly turned around: "Is there another shortage of materials for building fortifications?" Just tell me about this kind of thing, and when I hang this plaque, I will go out with the crabs......"

"No, not that." The captain of the garrison shook his head a little embarrassed: "I want to...... That one...... I'm here to inquire about the adults. ”

"Your Excellency?" The smiling butcher asked strangely, "Didn't your adults just leave?" If you have any questions, you can just ask him? ”

"As a subordinate, the task of our cavalry team is to obey orders, and this is the reason that the adults specially told me on the way here." Hansen immediately straightened his face, and then lowered his voice again: "It's just ...... The whereabouts of the adults have been unknown for the past few days, and we have to stay in this place again, so ...... So ......"

"So what exactly do you want to ask?"

"When will we be able to get out of here?"

Among the figures of the adventurers, Hansen scratched his head a little embarrassedly, and the armor also made a tinkling sound in the swing of his arms and body, and the smiling uncle who looked at the other party gradually frowned, and his mood became a little relieved, but after a while, he still sighed helplessly, and turned around again and lifted the plank: "Homesick?" Worried about Tania's safety? I can understand your feelings, but this kind of problem...... I don't know what the answer is. ”

"Didn't you talk to the adults for a long time just now?" Hansen's tone raised again: "You know so much, you must have guessed, right?" ”

"Guess ......"

The smiling butcher thought for a moment, and then carved the last stroke heavily on the plaque: "I'm not a god, and I don't understand the situation in the Free City, but according to my guess, ......"

"It should be almost."

***********************

There are only a few days left before the battle for the throne between Longall and Tarsingh, and a certain imminent atmosphere is just as Uncle Smiling guessed, and at the moment when it is almost about to break out, the large and small forces in the city are also maintaining the last forbearance and peace in the superficial brawls and secret transactions, and many people who are running around like Duan Qing are also secretly working hard for their own purposes. There are also many eye-catching events and characters in the middle, such as the battle for the coast of the East China Sea and the emergence of a new group that wants to conquer the Endless Bridge, and many battle reports about the second in the world and the Demon Paradise also leap like snowflakes on the offline forums, showing the different peace of the Free City in their own way, Duan Qing will occasionally see familiar names such as Teacher Zhou Xue and Tian Xingjian in these battle reports, and sometimes there will be words in his ears when describing the battle scenes, Still, these things did not stop him from moving forward, nor did they prevent certain inevitable events from coming.

The meeting with the lord of the castle came suddenly under such circumstances.

"Walk through this gate and you'll see a long staircase that goes up the ...... It should be between the city lords. ”

At noon on March 14, 795 in the new calendar, Duan Qing came to the city lord's mansion that he had always wanted to enter openly, and then under the leadership of a police officer, he stopped in front of the end of a long corridor in the garden: "The city lord's arrangements have always been full, although he has never acted according to that schedule, but ...... It took me a lot of effort to convince the other party to agree to meet with you. ”

"Thank you, Officer." Duan Qing bowed slightly: "You have done me a great favor." ”

"Don't thank me, the final result is not certain."

Pressing the brown wide-brimmed hat on his head, Rikas brushed the cloak behind his back with his backhand, then leaned back and sat on the stone fence at the edge of the corridor: "This is just an opportunity to meet the city lord, not a ceremony to sign an agreement, anyway, I brought you here for what purpose...... In the end, it's up to you. ”

"At least much better than some unscrupulous businessman." Duan Qing replied with a wry smile, "I gave him all the gifts I brought from the Duchy, and it turned out to be ...... Ah, that one...... I'll be sure to make up for your thank you later. ”

“…… You're acquainted, boy. ”

"Haha, haha, then...... I went in. ”

Looking at the police officer who had buttoned his hat to his head and pretended to be asleep, Duan Qing straightened his clothes, and then came to the top of the stairs that Rikas pointed to with a heavy knock on the door. The quiet air gradually surrounded Duan Qing, and for a while only the sound of his footsteps on the red carpet remained, and after a long march like climbing a mountain, an old stone hall finally appeared in his eyes: "Although I have seen it from the outside before......"

"It still looks shocking."

The large space and the round vaulted roof are the first impressions of the interior of the main hall, but the dome with the shape of a crystal lamp is too high from the ground. The crevices in the rocks that were exposed by the random overlapping of each other intersected and staggered on the surrounding walls, constantly extending towards the round vaulted roofs that could not be seen in the field of vision, and the rows of uncovered windows were neatly arranged at the same height as people, forming a neat circle towards the depths of the castle lord's hall. Perhaps because of the colder weather, the tall chairs placed in the hall were far away from the windows, and then placed side by side on both sides of the red carpet in the center along with the candlesticks that burned with candles, and the old decorations and cracks that showed old age appeared on the bodies of these seats from time to time, and also appeared around the entire city lord from time to time, even if the cold autumn wind constantly passed through the center of this hall, it could not prevent them from exuding their ancient atmosphere and the unique majesty of the throne to each visitor.

Even the owner who sits on it has changed my name in the past time I don't know how many.

"So...... You're the guy Rikas spoke of, an emissary from the principality? ”

At the end of the red carpet, illuminated by the surrounding candlelight, a dark figure sitting on the highest throne asked slowly in a deep voice, "The night I came here...... The guy who almost broke into here? ”

"That's a misunderstanding, Lord Castle."

Listening to the heavy sound of the door closing behind him, Duan Qing bent his waist: "Master Reiner before should have taught me the lesson he deserved." ”

"Your injuries heal quickly." Among the old seats on both sides of the red carpet, another tall black figure sitting at the front of the row of thrones on the left hand side immediately said: "There is even the strength to escape from the Five Fingers Mountain of Garo in the battle that follows." ”

"That...... Aha, that's just luck. Duan Qing smiled casually: "My companion and I are just pond fish that were burned by the fire, so I resisted a little, I believe that with the magnanimity of your lords, you should understand, right?" ”

"Don't worry, we're not going to hold you accountable for this."

The voice of the city lord, who sounded very young, sounded at the end of the hall again, and his tone seemed to be very relaxed, but the next moment, Duan Qing felt a trace of killing intent from this voice: "But...... If it was something else, I would probably blame you. ”

"Uh...... What do you mean? ”

"For example......

On the high seat, the dark figure slowly sat up straight.

"Why are you investigating me?"