About fifteen months ago.

Wild Fox Town, at the northern foot of the snow in the south, is the closest one that can be found by Feng Dust among all the settlements where there is no Hunter Guild stationed. It's no secret that poachers are frequent in town, and perhaps the corner grocery store happens to be closed for two days, and the owner has found a more lucrative job than selling odds and ends.

This is not some kind of speculation, in fact, the tavern in the center of town is one of the distribution centers for Shadowhunters in this area. The people who make a living in the Land of Projectiles are frighteningly vigilant, and it took the Dragonwhisperers days and miles to find out the news, and it was weeks before they actually got involved.

The underground unions have their own way of working, and there are no complicated secret orders or tokens that are difficult to copy, which means that the people involved can only gain real trust with each other if they are familiar with each other. As a result, as one of the few "strangers", Feng Chen could feel the jealous gaze thrown from all directions every time he entered the tavern - and it was especially serious today.

The young man carried a heavy sack of half height, the contents of which were still writhing slightly, and the tavern floor creaked with every step the hunter took. Due to the lack of oil and water, most of the town's commissions for small-sized monsters and living creatures are not cared for, but when "small-size" and "living" appear on the same commission, they will immediately become the target of poachers' competition. Most of these commissions are set up on the whim of a high-ranking official who hunts for curiosity, and the hunting fruit has always been bought with a lot of money, and eventually becomes a pet in the deep pavilion. The rich people often do not know the market of the underground world, but they also do not spare the gold coins in their hands, and the income from a single commission cannot be worth the adventurers' several births and deaths.

The town has a deep friendship with the tavern owner, and there are many powerful people. No matter how you look at it, it is not the turn of the little guy to pick such an eye-catching commission from the hands of the owner of the museum. The whispers around the tavern became noisy for a while, and there was no shortage of tall guys in the corner, fiddling with their weapons unabashedly. Unnoticed, the dragon whisperer went straight to the bar, pushed away the messy wine glasses on the table, and threw the burlap bag in front of the shopkeeper.

Eru at the bar was intently wiping her glass when she felt a shock under her feet and almost fell over. The orc shopkeeper was not as tall as the hunting fruit in the bag, and he stood up with his belly up, and struggled to raise his head to make out the gray young man in front of him.

"What the hell...... It's only been a few days? You didn't buy it from someone else, did you? "There is no formal record of entrustment in the underground world, and all transactions and entrustments are based on the memory of the organizers. Thinking of this face and the content of the commission he had received, the shopkeeper's expression changed slightly, the two locks of beard on his cheeks trembled, and he asked in a low voice, "The entrusting party has specially explained, and second-hand goods are not to be discussed." ”

Feng Chen did not answer, but silently untied the mouth of the sack and motioned for the other party to check it in person. A faint smell wafted out, but neither of them cared, Ai Lu poked her head over, and one of her fleshy palms reached into the bag and played left and right. The little beast in the bag has a plump body and complete scale armor, and it is rare that there is no external injury on its body. The effect of the powerful narcotic bomb had not yet passed, and the monster was still asleep, breathing slowly and steadily, with only a few occasional movements of its limbs, showing what kind of vitality was hidden in its small body.

The shopkeeper looked at it, but couldn't find a place to lower the price, and sighed after a while: "For the sake of the snowy mountains...... How did you do that? ”

"You still don't want to know." The Dragonwhisperer lowered his voice as he tapped the bar impatiently, "What about my pay?" ”

Although Dusty was mostly hidden under the hunting suit and covered with a cloak, after a few encounters, the sophisticated shopkeeper could still get a glimpse of the approximate age of the visitor from his voice and gait. Ailu's eyes rolled, as if he had found a plausible answer for himself, and he muttered "Lucky Imp" as he took out a stack of silver coins from under the bar and placed them on the table: "No, take it—"

Feng Chen glanced at the silver white under the palm of the shopkeeper's meat, his brows furrowed slightly, he was about to retract his hand back to his waist bag, but he was pressed by the quick-eyed Ai Lu: "Little guy, before you are impulsive, at least listen to someone finish speaking." ”

The fat boss patted the back of Feng Chen's hand, his eyes swept over every guest seat in the hall, and there were several dangerous glances and subtle swallowing saliva in the distance: "That's right, this is not the same as the negotiated merchant, less is less, but when you walk out of this door, you will thank me." I know all the drinkers here, and none of them are as kind as I am. If I pay one more silver coin, you won't even get a penny today. ”

"I know, thank you." Feng Chen nodded and didn't say anything more. He watched as the shopkeeper retracted the sack to the bar, and spread out the silver coins as if he were afraid that people would not be able to see clearly. Listening to the chatter around him turn into laughter, the young man collected his remuneration and counted out a third and pushed it back in front of Fat Ailu: "Change it to wine." ”

"Oh, spend a little moderation, this kind of commission is not encountered every day." Although the boss said this, he still smiled and took the silver coin into his arms, "If the cost of accommodation and supplies is tight, you can come to me for advance first." For the sake of the little guy being so generous, I won't charge you interest the first time. I still have some good stuff that I'd like to try? ”

"Don't be expensive." When it comes to buying wine, the sound of sealing dust fluctuates a little. The Dragonwhisperer's eyes peeked out of the shadow of his helmet, cloudy as if he hadn't slept in a long time: "The more the merrier." ”

Half an hour later, Feng Chen's body hung several hunting pots full of wine, and he entered a deserted back alley against the reddening sky. Before leaving, the shopkeeper of Ailu gave him a piece of smoked unknown animal meat, and when he opened the oil paper, the hunter smelled a pungent spicy smell, apparently because he had put too much spice. Feng Chen didn't care, tore off a thick one with his teeth, and swallowed it with the wine.

"It's time for your beard to shave." Opposite the dragon whisperer, there was a flash of light and shadow in the corner of the wall, and it was from there that the sound came from. Nameless lifted his mask, his figure broke away from the shadow of the wall, and slowly stepped forward: "At your age, the texture of your beard is still too soft, and if you deliberately leave it, it will be noticed." ”

"I'm not going to cross-dress, I just don't have time to take care of it." The young man wiped the drops of wine stuck to the fluff with his backhand and pinned his head to the side. In the time other than sleeping, Feng Chen had maintained the dragon cavity most of the time, and long before entering the alley, he clearly sensed the aura of the humans inside: "How did you find me?" ”

"So you know that it's hard to find yourself?" Hearing this, Nameless snorted instead, and the scar on half of his face twisted into a strange shape, "What did I say when the people of the Order appeared?" Escape as soon as possible, contact me as soon as possible, you can't just hear the first half of the sentence, right? ”

"I heard it, but I haven't been able to get in touch since." Xu is because of the alcohol entering the body, Feng Chen's expression is a lot more natural, and his thinking is clearer.

Nameless lowered his head and looked directly into the young man's eyes, and in a trance, he couldn't distinguish the truth of the other party's words. He suppressed his anger and said in as calm a tone as possible, "I gave you advice when you were still in Locklac, the world of poachers is extraordinary, and you must remember to come and consult with me before you come into contact with them. And what did you do – you didn't just settle in this town for a vacation, did you? ”

"I didn't cause any trouble...... "The dragon whisperer scowled, and the green tendons on the heel of his neck jumped abruptly under the influence of alcohol.

"It's not like 'no trouble'!" Nameless reprimanded, pointing his backhand in the direction he had come, "The cockscomb head sitting next to the bar in the tavern, the four people sitting around the table are all leaving after you. Want to know who stopped them? ”

The young man's heart was surprised, his eyes were clear for a moment, he had the heart to thank him, but he covered up the past by raising his head and pouring wine: "Even if I don't have your help, I can handle it myself......"

"If you're not drunk by then—" Nameless said as he snatched the jug from his junior and threw it far down the alley. The flask swirls in the air, spilling out streams of liquor. Feng Chen didn't feel distressed, as if he hadn't seen it, and gnawed on the half-cold bacon in his hand.

"Hell......" The stealth hunter stomped his foot heavily at this. A strong person who is qualified to wear an ancient dragon material hunting costume, which one is easy? However, dealing with a half-grown child is no better than fighting against a high-level beast, and a five-star powerhouse is not much stronger than an ordinary person. Nameless took a few breaths in succession, and his mind stabilized slightly: "After escaping from the pursuit, I returned to the previously agreed liaison office, and waited there for three whole days, but I couldn't get any news ......"

In a panic, Nameless stumbled upon information about the fire in the hunting ground and the beast tide on the union bulletin. Thinking of the route of the fleeing in the dust at that time, the hunter followed the news almost non-stop. However, it was too late—the battlefield that the Knights of Golden Feather City had specially prepared for the Dragonwhisperers had already turned into a wasteland by then. Several nearby villages have been devastated by the beast tide, and several wildfires have not stopped, and several teams of union hunters have been working to restore order to the hunting grounds. Despite his powerful hunting suit, Nameless was unable to stay in the danger zone for long.

"Hell, I even thought you were dead at that point." The stealth hunter said with a grim face, "If it weren't for the fact that the two masters still have friends in the Knights, we would have almost told the children of the Little Hunter Order." ”

"Everyone in the Little Hunting Group...... What do you know? Feng Chen's scalp was numb, and the muscles in his body tensed.

"You're still thinking about them—don't worry, none of those kids know about how you almost died." Nameless said coldly, "A few more days have passed, and Master Anfi managed to get the Knights' commission report, and they found a campsite during their follow-up search. After comparing the manpower of the Knights that day, we can roughly guess that you are coming to the south. ”

"I've followed your trail all the way south to this point, you kid...... I can't imagine how many traces I left along the way. It was the Knights who had decided that it would not have been possible to make it to the river with your injuries, otherwise their men would have stood in front of you a few days ago. ”

"Oh." The young hunter nodded, his eyes were empty, and there was no tension on his face, "To be honest, I don't plan to try to escape, the Knights of the Guild, the Wang Li Hunting Regiment...... It doesn't matter who it is, if I can really find this place, I can just let them take me away. ”

"Bastard!" Nameless said loudly, his voice echoing from the depths of the alley, "From the moment you stepped out of Locklac, your safety has long been your business. Do you know how much effort the two masters and I have made behind the scenes to protect your safety? Now that you move your lips, you think it's up to you to decide? ”

The sudden scolding made Feng Chen subconsciously take a step back. In the impression of young people, from the first moment of appearance, Nameless has always shown a calm and reliable image, and has never been so out of shape. The dragon whisperer opened his mouth, and before he could make a sound, he heard the senior speak next: "Just right...... I brought one with me today. I'd like to see if you can say the same thing again in front of him! ”

"Who?" In a state of turmoil, the young hunter forgot to maintain the dragon cavity, and when the mysterious vision opened again, there was an extra breath at the entrance of the alley. Feng Chen's gaze followed the trail, and under the sunset of the town, a long shadow was being thrown in from the mouth of the alley. The shadow's pointed ears towered high on either side of his head, and a large crumpet obscured most of his body below his neck, and he was the mentor he knew best.

"Anfi...... Instructor? The first breeze of the night blew away, blowing away the only remaining wine on the Dragonwhisperer, "Why are you here?" ”

"During the trip I reported to the union, I was still doing rehabilitation training in the research institute at this time." Old Ai Lu shrugged his shoulders and walked slowly, his thoughts were conveyed into Feng Chen's mind along the dragon's cavity, "There are my acquaintances in the research institute, and Ah Yang is also there." The whole of Scarlet knew that we were inseparable, so we should be able to hide it for a while. ”

"But here's ......"

"It's not the first time I've set foot on poachers' territory, my students can come here, and of course I can do it." Amphines smiled, "I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the most dangerous time, but as compensation, I came to visit you this time." ”

The light sentence was like a heavy hammer, slamming into Feng Chen's chest. The young hunter lost all his strength and sat down on his knees with a thud, his eyes turning red in two circles. There was a heavy cry in the voice of the dragon whisperer, as if he wanted to vomit out the resentment and self-blame of dozens of days: "Those villages have been destroyed...... Instructor...... What I saw with my own eyes, the civilians there...... None of them survived......"