Pande Extreme North, Misty Mountains, Main Peak. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

A snow leopard perched on a protruding rock, sculpture-like silence, its predatory gaze indifferently scanning the empty snowy area, its tense muscles bulging out one by one under its ice-blue skin.

At this moment, a discordant, blinding spot of light appeared in its field of vision, shining brightly into its sensitive pupils. Living creatures! The snow leopard's gaze suddenly sharpened, its body leaned forward, and in the next second, a snow-white shadow fell on the mountain rock.

Click!

A heavily armored hand grabbed the snow leopard's neck - no! It was better that the top hunter himself was sent into the hands of the comer, and then the hand exerted its strength lightly, and the fingers slowly tightened. The snow leopard struggled hard, its claws flailing desperately in the air, making a piercing grinding sound against the armor of the comer.

When the snow leopard lost its last bit of life in its eyes, the uninvited guest in the snow let go of his hand and threw the corpse onto the carriage behind him.

"Well done, Alice. This is already the third one! Quegfin poked his head out to see Teddilan skinning smoothly, the banished Noldor elf handling fur like an old Boymbrugh hunter. For ordinary people, Quegfen's trip to the salt mine can be described as dangerous, and soon after entering the Misty Mountains, he encountered a pack of polar wolves, disturbed two mating ice bears on the way, and was targeted by snow leopards who came out to hunt one after another near the salt mine. Even Livingston's most seasoned ranger may not be able to deal with the most ferocious predators in the Far North ecosystem, but for this great merchant with an adventure hero as a bodyguard and a killer Noldor elf as a horseman, it is tantamount to a nugget of gold delivered to the door on his own with fur and long legs.

"I said Kuigfen, aren't you busy? Every once in a while, I am annoyed that the old bus is not annoying. I'm already beginning to regret bringing you to the salt mines. The old drunkard jumped into Quegfing's carriage, quickly wrenched a piece of meat from the snow leopard with his knife, and threw it in his mouth to chew.

"I'm not here to find old Mr. Barezan this time," Quegfin flicked him a skin, "Ah, you want the snow in Ryan City." ”

"Yes, yes, I still have to recommend the northerners first." The old drunkard took a sip happily, "Tell me, where did you talk about business with Lao Ba." ”

Quegfen shrugged: "I can't talk about it, a dragon's tear is a weapon, the wholesale cost is too high, and there is no profit at all." ”

"You profiteer! What do you think the salt mine is somewhere, the seafood market in Windholm? This is the arsenal that heroes dream of! ”

"I'm a businessman, not a hero. Businessman, according to what Ma Digan said, isn't it unprofitable to be early, and it is advantageous to hope for the rooster to crow? ”

"Lao Ba can't talk to you over there, are you looking for my old man? I advise you to die of this heart, he has been depressed since the last loss to that Lofeel, and he can't drink me. ”

"No," Quegfin put away his joking expression, "I'm here for you this time." ”

"Looking for me?" The old drunkard was stunned for a moment, and the speed of chewing slowed down, "Are you kidding, what business is there to talk about between us?" ”

A roll of parchment was handed to him. "You'll be interested in this sketch."

"I don't know much art." The old drunkard spread out the parchment in his thoughts, his expression turned cold, and the cold wind whistled in his eyes. That picture is actually a black-and-white sketch of extreme detail, with brushstrokes like a raging wave. Surrounded by pale ruins, the four of them looked up at the sky, and a pitch-black shadow swooped down, with its hideous bat's wings spread behind them, like a black cross spear. I don't know what angle the painter was at at the time, but he captured everyone's faces and perfectly reproduced their expressions with a brush. Stunned, frightened, focused, inexplicably creating a gloomy atmosphere, it seems that in the next second, despair is coming.

"When?" The old drunkard's fingers slid lightly over the paper, and his gaze wandered between the three men.

"Two days ago. Do you remember Dante Arrikili and Trevor Bronson? Quegfin examined the old drunkard's expression and said word for word.

"One is a war knight under the throne of the goddess of order, and the other is an invincible warrior of the empire. Their names are so loud that you won't forget them once you hear them. The old drunkard straightened up, his eyes drifting to the snow-covered peaks in the distance. Then there was a long silence, except for the sound of the mountain wind blowing up snow and dust on the carriage. Quegfin waited patiently for his old friend's next step, knowing that the old drunkard must know what he wanted to ask, and that the noisy man would definitely come and ask.

"Quegfin, have your men wait outside, follow me into the salt mines." Alaric von Bloch jumped out of the carriage without looking back.

The two walked into the narrow line of heaven one after the other, and the old drunkard did not squint, and asked in a low voice: "Do you really believe in Madigan's nonsense?" ”

"I didn't believe it before, but now I have to believe it. The moment the drunkards meet again / The black cross leaves a scar on the lion's forehead / The black tide is approaching / Drives the usurper's descendants to the precipice. Without the slightest error! The drunkard was clearly referring to the three men, and the usurper must have been alluding to Archduke Alfred. Do you remember what Madigan told you back then? ”

"Of course," said the old drunkard, "he said that I would be a worthless drunkard for the rest of my life, and that I could not lead a group of drunkards, and that I could not fight madness after drinking," he paused.

"Educating people is no more than three drunkards."

"Dante, Trevor, and Estheus. You brought them all out, and you're an apprentice of a drunkard, but you're not a drunkard. It's ironic that all three of them don't drink at all, and they all have a slight alcoholphobia. "Don't bother to think about which of Madigan's works that half of the sentence is from, which was the manuscript of the eve of his arrest." ”

"Show me!"

"Such an important thing, you think I'll take it with me?" Quagfin replied unceremoniously, "And what I have is only a replica, and the real thing has been sold by me to the Imperials, and only those gringos are willing to pay a high price." ”

“…… I think you could sell the salt mine at any time. ”

"Randolph is already drawing a road map." Quegfen's answer almost choked the old drunkard, and it was a moment before he said, "Who?" ”