Heart of the Castle

Chapter 374
The tall and thin man's words were like red-hot steel needles, and Mr. Hullen almost jumped up, "Half the proceeds? Why don't you grab it?" He almost knocked over the table in excitement, every muscle on his face They were all trembling, "That's absolutely impossible, I won't agree."

"Are merchants always asking for money like this?" The tall and thin man sneered, "Then take your goods and go back on the road. You won't even earn a copper coin, not to mention half of the profit."

"Wait a minute, you have to know that the goods in the caravan are not all my own, but the common things of all merchants in the chamber of commerce. You will lose half of the income at once... Me, how can I explain to everyone? Mr. Hu Lun's expression has reached the maximum sincerity that a human face can show, "Is this the head office? I will pay one and a half times, one and a half times! The value of your blood dagger is so high, one and a half times is The maximum amount I can take out, if it exceeds this amount, I will go bankrupt."

Facing Mr. Hu Lun's entreaties, the tall and thin man remained unmoved, but a hint of teasing flashed from the corner of his eyes, "No one has dared to bargain with the blood dagger." He said in a cold voice, "The blood dagger never lowers the price, Because their services are worth the money. Except for the blood dagger, all the people in this room together cannot safely escort you through the Dusk Forest." The tall and thin man's contemptuous gaze made many mercenaries resentful, But seeing the blood-red dagger marks on those people's chests shocked these rude guys, making them only dare to be angry but dare not speak.

Mr. Hullen knew very well in his heart that the tall and thin man's words were very reasonable. He had indeed grasped the most fatal weakness of the merchant - without the help of the blood dagger, it was impossible to move a single step in the Dusk Forest.But Mr. Hullen really couldn't pay half of the proceeds of the goods, because these expensive goods did not belong to him personally, and even his share in them was only a negligible point.

Even this insignificant point is enough to hire the highest-level armed force in the Adventurer's Guild——Blood Dagger, a whole team, and the value of the entire cargo can be imagined.Although Mr. Hu Lun's family property is well-off, if he spends such a large sum of money, it will definitely hurt his muscles and bones.

Seeing the struggle in Mr. Hullen's eyes, the tall and thin man showed a secretive smile, then raised his chin coldly, "The blood dagger's time is precious, Mr. Hullen, if you don't make a choice right away, we won't accompany you gone."

Seeing that the tall and thin man indicated that he wanted to leave, Mr. Hu Lun finally panicked. After all, if these goods cannot be delivered through the Dusk Forest in time, the loss will not only be half of the proceeds, but all the proceeds plus transportation and The cost of storage is even more unaffordable for Mr. Hullen.

Businessmen who can continue to operate in places like the Northern Territory have somewhat decisive and ruthless personalities, and Mr. Hu Lun is no exception. There was a voice.

"Sir, are you the Blood Dagger of the Adventurer's Guild?" The young man with the sword on his waist was speaking, with a half-smile expression on his face, as if a little disbelieving .

There was a hint of viciousness on the face of the thin and tall man, and his fingers brushed the blood-red dagger mark on his chest, "Why, kid, don't you believe it?" His voice suddenly turned cold, "No one has ever dared to question the blood dagger, because questioning People will never be able to speak again."

"Maybe that's why someone can pretend to be them." The young man responded without fear. This was not an expression of pretending to be calm. Hu Lun could even see the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

These words seemed to have stabbed the tall and thin man's chest, making his already unhealthy face even more gloomy. "Boy, you are dead." He gritted his teeth and promised, "And the organization behind you is also finished. The blood dagger will never let go of anyone who dares to question them."

Seeing the people wearing blood-red dagger marks approaching the tall and thin man step by step, the young man muttered something, and the long sword slid out of the scabbard with a clang, and then everyone in the room exclaimed almost simultaneously, because On the edge of the long sword in the young man's hand, a silver light blazed like a flame!

"Good guy, is this sacrificing fighting spirit?" The middle-aged adventurer who retreated from the crowd showed a slightly surprised expression, and then hid under his lazy appearance again.

His voice was so low that even the people around him couldn't hear him clearly, but the people present were all rich in adventure experience. Although no one could identify the type of young man's fighting spirit, they could all see the dissipated fighting spirit. Unique signs.

The tall and thin man originally thought that the other party was just a reckless young man with an immature and reckless aura, but in the blink of an eye, what he thought was a rookie turned into an eagle that cannot be underestimated!Seeing the silver vindictive light rushing towards his face like a flame, the tall and thin man paused, "Brothers, wait a moment." He stopped the others, with imperceptible worry in his eyes, "High-ranking knights are not unusual, but It’s very rare at such a young age. Blood Dagger is not afraid of trouble, but he doesn’t want to get into trouble for no reason, boy, this is the last chance, tell us who you are, and see if we can provoke you?”

The tall and thin man's words were so straightforward that the young man couldn't help but smile, "I don't have any amazing identities. If I have to name one, it's the chief magician of the Gospel Circus." The young man He spread his hands and said, "Although apart from the big fireball, I don't seem to know any magic tricks."

"Stop talking nonsense!" The tall and thin man roared angrily, "Can a juggler also possess fighting spirit?"

"Isn't it just right for a fake magician to meet a fake blood dagger?" The young man asked back, "The real blood dagger is not as talkative as you, let alone wear that mark on your chest to flaunt... the most important thing One thing is, if it's a real blood dagger, it's impossible for them not to know me, and it's even more impossible for them to still be standing here."

As soon as the young man finished speaking, the tall and thin man turned around and ran away, leaving his companions behind as cover.This change surprised everyone, but soon, the stunned mercenaries and merchants realized that they had been fooled and roared together, drowning the fake blood daggers who hadn't had time to slip away In a sea of ​​fists, kicks and sticks.

Hearing the yelling, screaming and begging for mercy coming from behind, the tall and thin man's footsteps became more rapid. As he walked through the shadows, he was thankful that he saw the opportunity quickly.But when he just turned a corner, he didn't feel so good.

Two figures, much bigger than ordinary people, stood there. From the neck down, they were almost human, but above the neck, there were huge wolf heads, and two pairs of blood-red greedy eyes shone in the moonlight.

"Look, Bawu, what did we find?" The black figure on the left showed his white teeth.

"A stinky human?"

"Idiot, it's a barbecue of equal weight!"

The scream of the tall and thin man was extremely shrill in the night, but it didn't last long before it stopped. Only the big crows on the wall watched this scene, and their blood-red eyes showed clear disdain.

The riot in the hotel hall didn't last long, because the young man with sacrificial fighting spirit stopped the angry crowd in time. "These people are just liars, and they didn't cause any loss. The crime is not as good as death." There seemed to be a unique sense of majesty in the young man's voice. Coupled with his status as a high-ranking knight, the most rebellious mercenary Also bowed his head for it.

These mercenaries pretending to be blood daggers are actually quite capable. The tall and thin man who escaped should be a mid-level thief with good skills, and these guys who were surrounded by punches and kicks, looking embarrassed, actually They have also reached the level of kingdom fighters.This is a level rarely seen among adventurers. When the besieging crowd retreated, although everyone was bruised and swaying, no one was seriously injured.

"Mr. Hulun, are you going to pursue these people for pretending to be a blood dagger?" The young man pointed his sword at them, and turned his head to ask the business leader beside him.

He got no immediate answer, for the poor merchant's eyes were staring, and he was already in a great panic.The young man had no choice but to raise his voice and asked again. This time, Mr. Hullen shivered violently, as if he had woken up from some nightmare.

"You are not blood daggers at all!" Mr. Hullen complained with a mournful face.

"Of course we don't," replied one of the fellows, clutching their cheeks. "The hyenas say they'll get more money from the dorky businessmen, so we got these fake markers..." he said, putting The blood-red dagger mark on his chest was torn off and thrown on the ground, and he stepped on it with his foot, and the others followed him immediately.

"I won't be cheated out of money by you guys!" the waiter boy muttered aggrievedly.

"A fool can't, but a businessman can." Babrupa, dressed in colorful clothes, comforted him.

Mr. Hu Lun didn't care about such ridicule at all now, "The blood dagger is fake, no one can escort us through the Dusk Forest, I'm finished, we are all finished!" He suddenly said loudly.

"It's not that serious, is it?" The young man frowned and looked at Mr. Hullen, wondering if this timid businessman was scaremongering and expanding his losses. "Your goods are here in good condition. Even if you don't make any money, you can't talk about much loss, right?"

"Young man, you don't understand this. These goods can only be sold at a good price in the north of the Dusk Forest. If they can't be sent there, they can only be sold at a loss." A businessman who came with Mr. Hu Lun explained with a pale face. Say.

"It's freezing cold now, so the thieves won't last long." The young man continued, "If this is the case, then store the goods in the warehouse first, and then wait until the severe cold eliminates the threat of thieves for everyone, no? Is it good?"

"For a businessman, overstocking is a more terrible result than selling at a loss." Speaking of his field of expertise, Mr. Hu Lun's pale face became brighter, and he seriously explained to the young man, "Business is the most important thing. What matters is circulation, and only circulation, or simply put, can you make money if you buy and sell. Just the backlog of these goods can break the capital chain of our chamber of commerce."

"In my opinion, you must pass through the Dusk Forest as soon as possible? The blood dagger is also hired to ensure safety?" Babrupa interjected.Seeing that Mr. Hullen and other businessmen nodded repeatedly, a sly smile appeared on the short fat man's face. "Everyone, please listen to me!" He took a few steps forward with strong performance steps, with an exaggerated smile on his face, "Everyone has heard of the blood assassins of the Adventurer's Guild, and they are very famous, right? But I want to say that the well-known assassins, many good assassins, the real good assassins will only succeed under the cover of darkness without leaving any traces. It is just like the saying that has been passed down from the East , A general who is good at fighting does not have outstanding achievements.”

"You mean to say that blood assassins are nothing special?" Someone in the crowd asked, and the young man beside Babrupa's eyes flashed, and found that the speaker was the middle-aged adventurer with astonishing knowledge.

"Compared to the group I'm about to introduce to you, the Blood Assassins are really nothing special." Babrupa's smile didn't change, and he took two steps back to let the young man out. "Now, please allow me to introduce to you, the ace group among the aces of the Adventurer's Guild——Black Actor!"

Babrupa's words were very provocative, but after the words fell, all the merchants, mercenaries, and adventurers all looked at a loss.They had never heard of this organization known as the Black Mummers, and even the Gospel Circus had only heard of it before yesterday's performance.

Thinking of the terrible experience last night, several mercenaries looked at Babrupa with a vicious expression. It seemed that if the young man with the long sword was not standing beside the short fat man, they would have killed this guy. There is a heart to eat after tearing and dipping in salt.

Babrupa was made a little hairy by these gazes, turned his head to look at the young man, and only continued after confirming that he was very safe. "Looking at your expressions, I'm afraid you haven't heard of this name before, right? Then the next series of names may still be unfamiliar to you, such as the black witch Stieba, the dark twin wolves Wolf and Bau, the black dancer Leslin, the black Babrupa the Fool, and the leader of the black mummer, the great lord of the underground world in the north of the kingdom, and the twilight knight Leokos!"

The young man nodded slowly. If the corners of his mouth hadn't trembled and looked disfigured, his aura would definitely be in line with the series of titles. "We do have the power to protect you from passing through the Dusk Forest, but we need your absolute obedience and cooperation."

"And a reward is needed. Blood assassins are worth a lot, but black actors are not cheap." Babrupa said, seeing the disapproval expression on the young man's face, he hurriedly listened to him, The voices were so low that only the two of them could hear each other clearly, "Master Li Wei, if we don't want to pay, they may have doubts about our purpose and identity."

These words are indeed reasonable. When they heard that the fees were high, the merchants' tense expressions relaxed.They exchanged glances with each other, and then Mr. Hullen cleared his throat and spoke on behalf of all the businessmen, "Don't worry about the remuneration. We discussed it just now. We can use a quarter of the profit from this business to hire..." He The voice stopped, because the name of the strange organization had been forgotten on the tip of the tongue.

"Black actor," Babrupa reminded him.

"Yes, yes, black actor." Mr. Hullen nodded repeatedly, and repeated with an emphatic tone, "We pay a quarter of the proceeds to hire black actor to escort us and our goods through the Dusk Forest safely."

"It doesn't sound like a quarter." Babrupa smiled triumphantly. He liked the next part the most - bargaining.

The fire in the hall burned until dawn, and everyone came out of it with tired faces.In any case, after half a night of negotiations, the businessmen headed by Mr. Hullen reached an agreement with the black actor that Babrupa called.On the basis of a quarter of the profits, the merchants had to pay an additional sum of gold as a deposit. At the same time, the identity of the black actor was strictly kept secret. Anyone who revealed the actual situation of the team would be mercilessly retaliated by the black actor.

"At that time, even if you hid in the crotch of the blood assassin, you still couldn't escape the black actor's revenge." Babrupa's casual threat made several businessmen who still had doubts turn pale and cut off other thoughts.

The morning wind, as cold as a knife, rushed towards them, making everyone shudder, and at the same time boosting their spirits.Mr. Hulun and Babrupa had been wrestling with each other for half the night, and now they only felt dry mouth and dizziness, and when the cold wind blew, they suddenly felt a lot more awake, and their hearts suddenly moved.

"Dear Mr. Babrupa." Mr. Hullen said to Humpty Dumpty in a low voice, "You see, although the black actor is very powerful, his reputation is not so famous. If I say that the money is for hiring the blood dagger , in that case, other people in the chamber of commerce will not have so many opinions, but if I say that such a large sum of money was given to an unknown black actor..."

"That's hard to explain, isn't it?" Babrupa's eyebrows moved slightly, "Mr. Hullen, it's not that the black actor has encountered such a thing, what you need now is for us to prove that we have something worth it, right?"

When Babrupa said this, Mr. Hullen looked a little embarrassed, but he thought about it for a while, gritted his teeth and nodded, "It's great that you can understand... Our chamber of commerce will also Some accompanying guards have been sent, I think the black actor will not refuse a small friendly match? Of course, Master Twilight Knight is not allowed to participate, the guards of our chamber of commerce cannot withstand the charge of high-ranking knights."

"The Twilight Knight is indeed a trump card of our black actor, but we have many other cards, each of which is powerful enough." A sly smile appeared on Babrupa's face, "Let the guards of your chamber of commerce Come out, the Dark Twin Wolves must really want to exercise their muscles."

(End of this chapter)