"It's hard to meet with you, Councilor Tapp. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ”

"Aha! It's been a bit busy lately......"

In a tavern in Windflower, a player and an NPC sit down laughing, order a few random drinks and food, and then start a conversation as if no one else was around.

In fact, this tavern was not visited by many people in the first place.

"Mr. Tepp, I heard that you have recently been to Xifeng County......"

"Oh, ahaha, some business, just business......"

"Oh? I don't think so, for the sake of the happiness of the people of Fenghua Town, Mr. Tepp should do more......"

"Ah, do you think so, too? Aha......" The man with a shiny forehead who spoke earlier rubbed his hands a little embarrassedly: "As a citizen of Fenghua Town, it is our duty to contribute to Fenghua Town...... Otherwise, wouldn't I have failed to live up to my original intention of being elected as a member of Parliament? ”

"yes, yes, so we'...... I've also noticed Mr. Tepp's recent moves, and to be honest, we're also interested......"

Today is cloudy, and the sky that was originally somewhat clear has become dim due to a few thick clouds, but for the people of Windflower Town, this is a good thing - the weather has become hotter and hotter since entering the Fire Moon, so the townspeople are also trying to cope with the increasingly hot weather while welcoming the bustling summer. At this time, these small shields delayed the originally hot air a little, and even the dog on the side of the street who was snorting and panting for hot air also lay down because of this temporary cloud, and gradually quieted down.

The conversation between the two men in the tavern seemed to cease as the clouds let the sunlight out again, and one of them, dressed in formal clothes, stood up, shook hands with the man across from the small table, then grabbed a large-brimmed hat next to him and buckled it to his oily head, and turned to leave the place.

"How's it going, Captain Floating Life." After the rest of the man sat at the table for a long time, another player hurried out of the darkness in the corner, apparently to be a member of the Vizad.

"Plan...... There shouldn't be a big change. Fusheng dreamed for a while, and then said in contemplation: "I can see that the councillor should be ambitious, as long as he has such a mind, it will be beneficial to us, and it can even be said that ...... I expected that. ”

"Three days later, let's push the third step of plan one." He tilted his head sideways and instructed the man behind him, who nodded, and his figure faded into a blur - it looked like a sign that he was about to go offline.

"If there is no miscalculation, the situation is ...... It should continue to evolve like this. When he was the only one left in the tavern, Floating Dream began to mutter, "Now there is one last key point left. ”

"How...... How about safely pulling the mayor off his horse? ”

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

In the next few days, several people in Duan Qing's team all devoted themselves to the great cause of finding people.

From the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain, from the city to the outside of the city, they used only these four people to search every corner of Fenghua Town. At first, they searched street by street, but later because of the lack of manpower, everyone had to choose a certain place in the area of Fenghua Town on the adventure map, and then circle it out to be responsible. As for how to find it, it's their own problem.

Anyway, it's just a few of them, and they can do it themselves.

There was no outside help, no helpers, and finding the man named Finney on their own was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The smiling butcher also secretly hinted that he might have some reliable people who might be able to help here, but he was later rejected by Duan Qing.

"There's no need to bother anyone else." Duan Qing said: "Inquire normally, do your best, and take a look at the rest of the Mandate of Heaven......"

When he said this, Duan Qing was resting on the first floor of the Adventurers' Association, and for the smiling uncle who was also panting, he also looked so tired that he couldn't get up at all, leaning on the small round table with his limbs stretched out, looking at the dilapidated ceiling, as if he had just finished a 10,000-meter run.

It's just that there is some kind of unknown look in his upturned face.

"That's not what you told us about the look you had before." Uncle Smiling smiled: "It's okay to say, that little girl with a ponytail is not the kind of person who can hide things in her heart......"

"It's okay, she's always made such a fuss." Maintaining that posture of four corners and eight forks, Duan Qing smiled and shook his head: "Not to mention that it is just some small speculation of my own, even if things really get worse, it just gets worse." ”

"At the end of the day, we're just players, aren't we?" He finally turned his head sideways and looked at the real uncle's face that had been looking at him: "Even if Fenghua Town is blown up into the sky and the free world is facing destruction, we are just passers-by at best, right?" ”

The bearded uncle didn't answer, still looking at him with fixed eyes. ‘

"In short, we tried our best, we got by with it, and the end result was not so ...... Important. Duan Qing returned his gaze to the ceiling, where the old chandelier was swaying slightly in the mountain breeze blowing in from the window, making a creaking moan: "Player...... Oh no, the final goal of an adventurer is often some powerful weapons and equipment, cool skills, and then a strong strength to match, and then smile proudly and conquer the world...... Even if it involves some other things, it must be related to the previous ones. ”

"Otherwise, what are we going to play in the game?"

The smiling butcher finally withdrew his gaze, he was no longer out of breath, and seemed to have rested: "Hmph, hehe...... I've been asked this question countless times, and I've had countless different answers. ”

"What's the point of playing games......" He stretched out his limbs and looked up at the ceiling.

Duan Qing didn't respond, nor did he observe the other party's expressions, the two of them just spread out and looked above them, letting the mountain wind pass by them, and they didn't say anything for a long time. It wasn't until the flow of time was a little unbearable that the smiling butcher twisted his body and said in the jingle of the black iron shield beside him:

"Fun, achievement, self-prove, and then ...... Find yourself. He muttered a few unrelated words, then smiled wryly, "What about this order?" Isn't that reasonable? ”

"Reasonable." A few seconds later, there was a response from there, but Duan Qing's eyes were much brighter: "It's a bit ...... The feeling of vicissitudes. ”

"Come less." The smiling butcher smiled: "After you just said this, I always feel ...... The order just now should be reversed. ”

"Hmm...... There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you saying that. Duan Qing touched his chin: "After all, ......"

The door was pushed open.

"Damn, I'm busy like a dog outside, but you're enjoying here!" Xiao Hongchen, who was carrying an axe and a spear, saw two teammates who were about to form a big shape, and he was so shocked that his feet jumped up: "This is not fair!" ”

"We're tired like dogs." The smiling butcher propped up the table behind him with his elbows, trying to prop himself up, but after a moment, he maintained this position and looked at Xiao Hongchen: "You ......"

His mouth opened into a circle: "Where have you been?" Got into a fight again? ”

At this time, Xiao Hongchen was bruised and purple, like a street element who had just returned from a fight.

"Krim in the west of the city, that guy has a bad temper, and after a few words, he started fighting." Xiao Hongchen waved his hand indifferently, as if the bruises on his body were not his own: "That guy's skills are not good, haha!" Probably old......"

"It's also possible that you've gotten stronger." Duan Qing took over: "Don't look down on yourself so much...... How, are there any clues? ”

Xiao Hongchen didn't answer, just walked to the small round table, picked up the kettle and poured two sips of water himself, and then found that the kettle was empty. He pursed his lips and casually threw the pot on the table, "What are you talking about?" ”

"We're talking about ......" seemed to be fruitless, Duan Qing's voice paused: "We're talking about life." ”

"Hey, two old guys." Xiao Hongchen stretched out his hand and pointed at the two of them: "No wonder they can't get up." ”

"You guy...... Do you dare to go it alone? ”

"Respect the old man, don't fight with you."

"Damn, no, I must teach you a lesson today......"

"If you don't fight, you don't fight, and it's not that you haven't fought...... Oh, hey, don't, don't, look at my injuries......."

After the hustle and bustle was carried away by the breeze, the scene returned to calm for a while. I don't know how long it was, Duan Qing's voice sounded again: "I ask you a question." ”

"Say!"

"What are you playing the game for...... What is it? ”

"Hah, I thought it was going to be some big problem...... Belch. As if remembering something, Xiao Hongchen's voice paused, then touched his nose, and regained his previous fluency and crispness: "This question is so easy to answer!" “

"Of course playing games is fun!" He slapped the table and sat down on the bench next to him: "It's not fun, what kind of game to play." ”

As the sun grew, the clouds seemed to move as the mountain wind grew stronger, and the sunlight peeked out from the white to black edges, and then through the whistling mountain wind and the flowers and leaves in the sky, through the windows of the Adventurers' Guild, casting a shadow of everything in the room. Duan Qing and Uncle Smiling glanced at each other, and the latter shook his head with a smile: "Look, it's still a young man who understands much better......

"So you don't think about the useless stuff anymore." Duan Qing finished saying this sentence with his eyes closed, and then stood up: "You can do whatever you want, the game is so simple." ”

"Life too, life ...... Also. ”

In Xiao Hongchen's inexplicable eyes, he walked to the door of the Adventurer's Association: "Okay, after resting, I have to continue to go to the north of the city to find someone......"

"We've been looking for this person who may not exist for three days, and we haven't done a lot of commissions." Uncle Smiling also sat up straight: "I won't ask any questions about whether it's worth it or not, will that guy Richard agree?" ”

"Whatever." Duan Qing stretched out his hand and pushed the door open: "Anyway, he's been playing disappearing lately, hmm...... It seems that it used to be. Besides, those small and miscellaneous things can't be done in the first place. ”

"But our boss has been disappearing a little more often lately." The smiling butcher touched his beard: "Maybe it's that Fenghua Town has been a little unpeaceful recently?" ”

Duan Qing's footsteps paused, and then stepped out of the gate: "God knows." ”

"Speaking of which, there have been some rumors recently, I don't know if you've heard it." Even when he saw Duan Qing's figure about to leave, Uncle Smiling still didn't mean to stop talking: "There have been a lot of rumors in Fenghua Town recently. ”

This time, Duan Qing turned around: "What rumors?" ”

"The bandits, who are becoming more and more active, are actually a group of people who are organized and purposeful. They are the front line of some kind of reactionary organization for the purpose of ...... Overthrow the tyrannical rule of the principality. After Uncle Smiling said these words, he also spread his hands helplessly: "Rumors, it will always be like this." ”

Duan Qing's pupils shrank.

"Because of the Karon Pass case, everyone feels that the bandit activity has become more and more rampant recently. Therefore, some people say that there are traitors within Fenghua Town, which is why these cunning bandits have survived next to Fenghua Town for so long. There are also rumors that they are supported by more nefarious organizations, such as the Restorationists......"

"Hey, uncle, you don't mean to say that the people we saw in the mine before are actually those people from some kind of alliance, right?" Xiao Hongchen sat aside and shouted.

"How do I know?" The smiling butcher spread his hands: "There is not much difference between what I saw and what you saw, and we also told you what happened later......"

"But I don't necessarily want it!"

"So you need to use your brain more and don't keep thinking about letting us ......"

"Wait."

Duan Qing, who spoke, stepped back from outside the door: "Let's talk about it one by one." What's going on at Karon Pass? ”

"Don't you know?" The smiling butcher's face showed obvious surprise: "That's the border checkpoint of Fenghua Town, there was a batch of grain to be shipped out before, and it was robbed there. ”

"It's a big thing, not just because the robbers openly robbed it in broad daylight, but also because ...... The supplies were to be sent to the front lines of the Principality. ”

"A batch of military rations?" Duan Qing's hands clenched: "What about the escorted army?" ”

"The casualties were not big because it was a ...... Too suddenly. The smiling butcher spread his hands: "And there are a lot of people on the other side, the combat power of the principality is already a little tight, and Fenghua Town is the rear of the principality, so there are not a few soldiers over there to take charge of things here, so the strength comparison is a little big." But then again, if those people are really bandits, then the strength of these bandits is too strong, right? If they were so strong when we first arrived, we would have hung up on it a long time ago......"

Duan Qing lowered his head, and after a while, he raised his head again: "What do you think?" ”

"The matter of Karon Pass, we adventurers must not be able to control it." When Uncle Smiling heard this, he thought casually for a while: "As for those rumors, it doesn't matter, it's not what it is, it's not what it is, it's ...... for us players."

"Aren't they all bad people?"

"Hey, that's it, whatever enemy is not an enemy, it's just a monster." Xiao Hongchen also said, and at the same time shook his arm while holding his shoulder, but he didn't know where the injury on his body was, and he grinned for a long time.

"Hmph, hehe......" Different from the reaction of the two of them, Duan Qing turned his head again and looked up at the sky. He stretched out his hand, then put it down again—he wanted to block out the growing sunlight, but the golden light was blocked by another drifting cloud.

"For some reason, all of ......a sudden," he whispered to himself, "I'm looking forward to it." ”