Murong Xingchen opened her eyes, turned her head and looked at Qi Bei, who was frowning and lost in thought, and comforted him by saying, “It’s okay. If the curse poison was so easily dispelled, it wouldn’t have been bothering me for so long.”
Qi Bei looked up, smiled at Murong Xingchen and said, “Xingchen, I will definitely find a solution. Trust me.”
Murong Xingchen nodded. She thought she would see a look of frustration on Qi Bei’s face, but he didn’t give her any negative emotions. Instead, he brought her hope with his confidence.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Although the snow melting season had not arrived yet, the harshest season had already passed, and the day when the snow melted and the earth revived was just around the corner.
The trading market in West Hill Town was bustling with people. The threshold here was much lower than in West Spirit City, so the grade of goods sold here was naturally slightly lower as well. However, each grade of goods had its own market, adapting to different crowds, so the transaction volume here was not low.
Shop number 33 in the East Street of the market was Tim’s weapons shop run by a dwarf named Tim. Due to the excellent quality and reputation of his goods, as well as the diversity of his trading methods, his business was extremely good.
Tim’s fame not only came from his craftsmanship, but also from his daughter, Liya.
From a purely visual standpoint, Liya looks good and could be described as delicate and pretty. However, if you take a look at her arm muscles and compare them to her height of just over one meter, you’ll be in for a surprise.
Liya was famous for her toughness and her ability to drink without getting drunk. She was buddies with many adventurers, and as the number of her buddies increased, it naturally boosted her family’s business and gave her shop an extra layer of protection. As a result, the weapons shop had always been running smoothly.
However, at this moment, a group of fierce lion-men had blocked off the shop number 33, and any guests who wanted to enter had to detour.
Some people gathered together in the distance and discussed, “What’s going on? Who is bold enough to block Tim’s shop?”
“It’s the people from the Lion Tribe who have set their sights on Tim’s shop and want him to transfer ownership,” someone replied.
“Doesn’t Liya have many adventurer friends?” the person asked.
“What’s the use? The Lion Tribe leader, Kero, has defected to the City Lord and has over forty thousand soldiers under his command in West Spirit City. He has a high status and power. Who dares to provoke him?”
“I heard that the military discipline in West Spirit City is strict, and the lord of the city loves the people like his own children. Why not go to the City Lord’s mansion and file a complaint?”
“File a complaint? Are you stupid? The City Lord still needs to rely on the Lion Tribe leader Kero’s soldiers. It’s clear who’s more important. Will he offend Kero over just one store owner?”
Inside the store, Tim and his daughter Liya were silent.
Suddenly, Liya stood up and grabbed two huge iron hammers and was about to go out.
“Liya, stop!” Tim rushed over and grabbed his daughter’s hand.
“Father, don’t stop me. I’ll fight these beasts.” Liya growled like an angry mother leopard.
“What’s the point of fighting? It’s just going to lead to death. It seems like this store can’t be kept open,” Tim sighed.
“Since it can’t be kept open, why not fight? Let’s at least take a few with us before we die,” Liya said angrily.
“Die? Have you forgotten our tribe in the Black Hills? If we die, what will happen to them?” Tim stared at his daughter. He wasn’t afraid of fighting, as dwarven warriors were never afraid of death. But for the sake of their tribe, they couldn’t die.
Liya’s anger was doused like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head, feeling suffocated and almost going crazy.
Just then, a patrol of soldiers suddenly walked by outside, led by Iron Head.
Iron Head was already a commander, with four thousand soldiers under his ten battalions, and his men were responsible for the defense of West Hill Town this time.
On his first visit to West Hill Town, Iron Head also wanted to look around and personally led a team of soldiers for patrol.
“Commander, something seems off over there,” the captain behind him pointed at Tim’s store and said to Iron Head.
“Let’s go check it out.” Iron Head furrowed his brow and spoke in a deep voice. He was in charge of the defense of West Hill Town on his first day, and he intended to apprehend a few typical troublemakers to set an example. Anyone who caused trouble for him would regret it.
When they saw the patrol team approaching, the group of lion-men showed no fear.
“What are you guys doing here?” The captain stepped forward and demanded.
“We’re just chatting here, nothing more.” One middle-aged lion man spoke haughtily.
“Chatting? I think you’re deliberately blocking people from doing business here.” The captain, an old hand, could see through the problem at a glance.
“Soldiers, you shouldn’t speak recklessly. Commander Kero is my uncle. You can ask him whether we’re causing trouble.” The middle-aged lion-man folded his arms and showed a look of defiance as if to say, “What can you do to us?”
Iron Head’s gaze sharpened, becoming more focused.
West Spirit City was the domain of the Lord, and they had always been wary of Kero and his people. Kero’s men occupied most of the West Spirit City’s army, and when the Lord established the Divine Dragon Army, he broke up the orc soldiers and prevented Kero from having his own army.
“Commander Kero is always self-disciplined. How could he let his men bully and extort in the market? You guys are spreading rumors and slandering. Such audacity you have to do so! Arrest them all and put them to hard labor.” Iron Head spoke sternly.
The patrol team immediately drew their weapons and surrounded the group of Lion Tribe people.
“You’ll regret this.” The middle-aged lion-man man glared at Iron Head menacingly.
Iron Head grinned, removed his helmet, revealing his shiny bald head, and with a cold smile on his lips, he stepped towards the middle-aged lion-man step by step.
“What…what do you want?” The middle-aged lion-man still spoke in a fierce tone, albiet tremblingly.
Iron Head grabbed the man’s collar and slammed his head hard into his face.
With a loud “bang,” the middle-aged lion-man’s face suddenly bloomed, covered in blood.
“Threatening me? You must be getting tired of living.” Iron Head kicked the middle-aged lion-man’s knee joint and with a “crack,” the lion-man had already fallen to the ground.
As one of the first followers around Qi Bei, Iron Head was not arrogant due to his favoritism, but he understood Qi Bei’s ideas.
What Qi Bei wanted was absolute prestige, and this kind of prestige had to be consolidated and carried forward by them, the confidants. Anyone or anything that went against Qi Bei’s will had to be knocked down.
At this moment, the shopkeeper Tim and his daughter Liya walked out and were somewhat stunned when they saw what was happening.
“Are you the shopkeeper?” Iron Head wiped the blood on his head with a cloth and asked.
“Yes, sir, what is happening?” Tim nodded.
“Are they causing trouble at your shop?” Iron Head asked. Since this matter involved Kero, he would handle it beautifully and not give anyone a handle.
Tim hesitated, afraid that this military master that looked like a small captain officer could not handle such a big thing.
“Yes, they want to occupy our shop.” Liya spoke up indignantly.
Iron Head rubbed his bald head and laughed, “Don’t worry, the City Lord will never allow bullying and market domination. Anyone who defies the rules set by the City Lord will pay the price.”
Murong Xingchen opened her eyes, turned her head and looked at Qi Bei, who was frowning and lost in thought, and comforted him by saying, “It’s okay. If the curse poison was so easily dispelled, it wouldn’t have been bothering me for so long.”
Qi Bei looked up, smiled at Murong Xingchen and said, “Xingchen, I will definitely find a solution. Trust me.”
Murong Xingchen nodded. She thought she would see a look of frustration on Qi Bei’s face, but he didn’t give her any negative emotions. Instead, he brought her hope with his confidence.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly. Although the snow melting season had not arrived yet, the harshest season had already passed, and the day when the snow melted and the earth revived was just around the corner.
The trading market in West Hill Town was bustling with people. The threshold here was much lower than in West Spirit City, so the grade of goods sold here was naturally slightly lower as well. However, each grade of goods had its own market, adapting to different crowds, so the transaction volume here was not low.
Shop number 33 in the East Street of the market was Tim’s weapons shop run by a dwarf named Tim. Due to the excellent quality and reputation of his goods, as well as the diversity of his trading methods, his business was extremely good.
Tim’s fame not only came from his craftsmanship, but also from his daughter, Liya.
From a purely visual standpoint, Liya looks good and could be described as delicate and pretty. However, if you take a look at her arm muscles and compare them to her height of just over one meter, you’ll be in for a surprise.
Liya was famous for her toughness and her ability to drink without getting drunk. She was buddies with many adventurers, and as the number of her buddies increased, it naturally boosted her family’s business and gave her shop an extra layer of protection. As a result, the weapons shop had always been running smoothly.
However, at this moment, a group of fierce lion-men had blocked off the shop number 33, and any guests who wanted to enter had to detour.
Some people gathered together in the distance and discussed, “What’s going on? Who is bold enough to block Tim’s shop?”
“It’s the people from the Lion Tribe who have set their sights on Tim’s shop and want him to transfer ownership,” someone replied.
“Doesn’t Liya have many adventurer friends?” the person asked.
“What’s the use? The Lion Tribe leader, Kero, has defected to the City Lord and has over forty thousand soldiers under his command in West Spirit City. He has a high status and power. Who dares to provoke him?”
“I heard that the military discipline in West Spirit City is strict, and the lord of the city loves the people like his own children. Why not go to the City Lord’s mansion and file a complaint?”
“File a complaint? Are you stupid? The City Lord still needs to rely on the Lion Tribe leader Kero’s soldiers. It’s clear who’s more important. Will he offend Kero over just one store owner?”
Inside the store, Tim and his daughter Liya were silent.
Suddenly, Liya stood up and grabbed two huge iron hammers and was about to go out.
“Liya, stop!” Tim rushed over and grabbed his daughter’s hand.
“Father, don’t stop me. I’ll fight these beasts.” Liya growled like an angry mother leopard.
“What’s the point of fighting? It’s just going to lead to death. It seems like this store can’t be kept open,” Tim sighed.
“Since it can’t be kept open, why not fight? Let’s at least take a few with us before we die,” Liya said angrily.
“Die? Have you forgotten our tribe in the Black Hills? If we die, what will happen to them?” Tim stared at his daughter. He wasn’t afraid of fighting, as dwarven warriors were never afraid of death. But for the sake of their tribe, they couldn’t die.
Liya’s anger was doused like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head, feeling suffocated and almost going crazy.
Just then, a patrol of soldiers suddenly walked by outside, led by Iron Head.
Iron Head was already a commander, with four thousand soldiers under his ten battalions, and his men were responsible for the defense of West Hill Town this time.
On his first visit to West Hill Town, Iron Head also wanted to look around and personally led a team of soldiers for patrol.
“Commander, something seems off over there,” the captain behind him pointed at Tim’s store and said to Iron Head.
“Let’s go check it out.” Iron Head furrowed his brow and spoke in a deep voice. He was in charge of the defense of West Hill Town on his first day, and he intended to apprehend a few typical troublemakers to set an example. Anyone who caused trouble for him would regret it.
When they saw the patrol team approaching, the group of lion-men showed no fear.
“What are you guys doing here?” The captain stepped forward and demanded.
“We’re just chatting here, nothing more.” One middle-aged lion man spoke haughtily.
“Chatting? I think you’re deliberately blocking people from doing business here.” The captain, an old hand, could see through the problem at a glance.
“Soldiers, you shouldn’t speak recklessly. Commander Kero is my uncle. You can ask him whether we’re causing trouble.” The middle-aged lion-man folded his arms and showed a look of defiance as if to say, “What can you do to us?”
Iron Head’s gaze sharpened, becoming more focused.
West Spirit City was the domain of the Lord, and they had always been wary of Kero and his people. Kero’s men occupied most of the West Spirit City’s army, and when the Lord established the Divine Dragon Army, he broke up the orc soldiers and prevented Kero from having his own army.
“Commander Kero is always self-disciplined. How could he let his men bully and extort in the market? You guys are spreading rumors and slandering. Such audacity you have to do so! Arrest them all and put them to hard labor.” Iron Head spoke sternly.
The patrol team immediately drew their weapons and surrounded the group of Lion Tribe people.
“You’ll regret this.” The middle-aged lion-man man glared at Iron Head menacingly.
Iron Head grinned, removed his helmet, revealing his shiny bald head, and with a cold smile on his lips, he stepped towards the middle-aged lion-man step by step.
“What…what do you want?” The middle-aged lion-man still spoke in a fierce tone, albiet tremblingly.
Iron Head grabbed the man’s collar and slammed his head hard into his face.
With a loud “bang,” the middle-aged lion-man’s face suddenly bloomed, covered in blood.
“Threatening me? You must be getting tired of living.” Iron Head kicked the middle-aged lion-man’s knee joint and with a “crack,” the lion-man had already fallen to the ground.
As one of the first followers around Qi Bei, Iron Head was not arrogant due to his favoritism, but he understood Qi Bei’s ideas.
What Qi Bei wanted was absolute prestige, and this kind of prestige had to be consolidated and carried forward by them, the confidants. Anyone or anything that went against Qi Bei’s will had to be knocked down.
At this moment, the shopkeeper Tim and his daughter Liya walked out and were somewhat stunned when they saw what was happening.
“Are you the shopkeeper?” Iron Head wiped the blood on his head with a cloth and asked.
“Yes, sir, what is happening?” Tim nodded.
“Are they causing trouble at your shop?” Iron Head asked. Since this matter involved Kero, he would handle it beautifully and not give anyone a handle.
Tim hesitated, afraid that this military master that looked like a small captain officer could not handle such a big thing.
“Yes, they want to occupy our shop.” Liya spoke up indignantly.
Iron Head rubbed his bald head and laughed, “Don’t worry, the City Lord will never allow bullying and market domination. Anyone who defies the rules set by the City Lord will pay the price.”
