Kingdom’s Bloodline Chapter 172: Master of Magic

Remember 【New】for a second,! "What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"

On the bustling street with people coming and going, Thales held up the little broken hat on his head and whispered to Xile next to him.

Miss Kevin Deere has long since changed into her practical and simple rushing outfit, her hair has been messed up into a bird's nest again, and she even has a little dust on her face. I don't think this is a noble lady.

"It's nothing, you used to wear fancy clothes, but today, you are surprisingly suitable for such a poor person."

Tales' expression stiffened.

"What do you mean? What is 'surprisingly fit'?"

He touched the standard "Civilian Passerby Armor" costume that came out of the theater, and the corners were torn up, and his expression was strange.

"It's just your skin, it's too pampered, it doesn't fit," Hillary ignored his doubts, "Ah, yes, don't move."

The eldest patted the wall skillfully, held the face of His Royal Highness the Prince without resistance any longer ("What are you doing - woo, don't, no, let go..."), wiped and rubbed hard.

"Well, this is much better."

Xilei looked at the work in front of her and nodded with satisfaction. Then she retracted her gaze and walked away: "Okay, don't be naughty, hurry up and keep up, the target is moving."

His Royal Highness the Prince who was left alone, to be exact, it was Thales, the little poor sour who had his face full of dust and fireworks, and threw his fists and feet on the spot. .

As the most famous tourist and entertainment destination, the streets of the Iris District are full of festive crowds:

Drinkers who hold wine barrels and glasses during the day are full of drunken people to clink their glasses on the streets; the drunkards stumbling around in the alleys are obviously drunk and hangovers; foreign high-profile guests carry interpreters with them The flower girls carried baskets full of flowers and smiled when they saw couples shopping; a group of ocean-going sailors who temporarily docked in the Emerald City gathered together and sang "The Mermaid Has No Dad" and "The Mermaid Has No Dad". The end of the sea eye is your home", the lyrics are rude and vulgar ("The baby merman cried and asked his mother, why is there no father in the whole sea? Yo hey! Because the heroic sailors finish drinking every day and stand on the deck happily Have a cool slap in the ocean!"), passing parents had to block their children's ears and warned them to not work hard when they were young, and grow up to be sailors;

The parade performance teams passing by on the road from time to time set up a stage on the spot to promote the reputation of their troupe or troupe; the local escorts and tour guides of the Emerald City can appear in every corner, looking for out-of-towners to recommend themselves enthusiastically; from pubs and hotels Helpers in teahouses, restaurants or other small shops are dragging people all over the street to find business; and hawkers pushing carts to sell trinkets, they can't wait to take the street stalls that occupy every corner and work hard at the intersection of people coming and going. Yelling jugglers, carriages carrying rich and expensive guests to various dates and banquets, of course, the least of which are tourists dressed in fancy dress and walking through the streets...

"The best Liquor powder box fireworks, imported from Humble, handcrafted by the sea of ​​flames, assembled by local craftsmen, and the same style of fireworks used in the Kongming Palace!"

The low-key Thales and Hillary passed by a peddler, who was pushing a car full of fireworks, while tirelessly shouting and selling, while struggling to drive away the noisy children around:

"Twenty coppers for one round! Sixty for five rounds, 100 for ten rounds! Buy more, get more free, bundles with more flames at the same time, the effect is better!"

Defender Srimani, the target of Thales and Shiley's stalking, walked alone on the street after the theater, mixed into the crowd, watched the performance here and applauded, and strolled around the street vendor to buy flowers, but He didn't stay long no matter where he was, and he looked back and watched nervously from time to time along the way, appearing to be distracted and preoccupied.

"Slimani is a well-known defender in the city. He is familiar with the city's law and can speak well. He is well-connected in both the Vigilance Hall and the Judgment Hall, so the fees are high." Before, pretending to be playing with a doll, "But the higher he charges, the more dignitaries will come to him to defend him in court."

"I know, I've seen his performance in the trial court. Even judges as harsh as Brennan couldn't fault him," Thales squatted beside her, but he kept paying attention from the corner of his eye. Sitting outside the restaurant opposite, facing Slimani, who was dazed with a glass of wine, "But when Slimani just talked to Kaquere, he was not at all articulate."

"Indeed, he was scowling along the way, not like an Emerald City citizen at a Queen's Day celebration."

“He must know something,” Thales nodded and whispered, “Whether it was about the dead Diop, or the people and events behind it—and those things terrified him and made him He had to go to Caquere to find out about the palace."

In the distance, Slimani exhaled and seemed to make up his mind. He dropped a few coins and left his seat, as well as the unsucked glass of wine on the table.

Shi Lai put down the doll and stood up with Thales, disappointing the stall owner who was expecting them to buy something.

"Then you're going to show up to find him?"

"I can't be here, it's easy to be discovered by Jen's eyes and ears, and I have to wait for him to go to a sparsely populated place..."

"Then know it and move it with emotion, 'Come on, join Prince Thales, and let's defeat the Great Demon King Jaen together'?"

The two re-mixed into the crowd, hanging behind Srimani, watching him first reward a group of entertainers with a few copper coins, and then stopped a flower girl, listlessly in her basket Picking flowers.

"If it really doesn't work," Thales shook his head, ignoring the sarcasm in the other party's words, "we can only ask him in a 'civilized, polite and kind voice'."

"What do you mean?"

"The stalk in the Star Lake Guard is related to one of my subordinates named Morgan-hey, where did you get the flowers?"

Tales looked in surprise at the bouquet of flowers that suddenly appeared in Shi Lai's hand, with at least three colors or categories in it.

"Of course you sent it!" Kevin Deere's eldest lady was righteous.

"What?"

Tales turned his head for a while: I don't know when, a little flower girl with a flower basket was standing beside them, smiling and looking at Thales with hope.

Sheila frowned:

"Oh? Could it be that you're not going to buy me flowers on a date?"

Tales' expression stiffened.

A few minutes later, Shi Lai was walking on the street, happily playing with the flowers in her hands, while Thales touched and deflated some of the purse, thinking in her mind what reason to use to repay Jenn.

"Have fun," Sheila took out a flower and inserted it into the hole in Thales' hat, "We are following after all, we need to blend in with the crowd, be natural, and don't be seen as flawed. "

While speaking, Slimani held a bunch of flowers and walked around, hesitating for a while outside an unremarkable hair salon, and finally walked in.

Tales and Hillary hurriedly stopped, pretending to be tired tourists, and sat down on a broken stone slab across the street to rest.

"I can't believe that he walked like a headless fly for so long, but he actually came, er, shaving his head?" Thales was a little helpless.

"Compared to this," said Sheila, "there are still shops open for business on the days of the Emerald Celebration?"

Tales shook his head, he awakened the sin of the Hell River, entered the "hell senses", focused on his vision and hearing, and observed the movement in the shop across the crowded streets.

"Welcome, shave or trim?"

Several guys in the shaving shop sat casually on the ground, playing cards one after another, and seeing the guests coming, one of the guys stood up lazily under the urging and running of his companions, He pulled the cover off the chair and tied it around his waist as an apron.

Slimani took a deep breath: "I..."

"Sorry, our manicurist went back to the country to get married."

The face of the shaving guy was full of reluctance. He picked up a razor, dipped it in water, and scratched on the whetstone at will: "But there is a discount during the Queen's Day, two people traveling together for one free... "

Slimani smiled unnaturally. He walked over to a vase in the shop, took away the dead branches, and inserted the freshly bought flowers at an angle.

The guy's eyes changed and he stopped sharpening his knife.

"Oh, nice flower," the buddy winked at his mates, and the others threw their hands down, "A regular customer?"

"Yes, I think, I want to find Balta," the defense attorney said with embarrassment, "I came a few days ago, you should recognize me."

After Slimani finished speaking, he took out a few copper coins from his pocket.

The guys in the store glanced at each other, and the talking guy nodded and took the copper coin skillfully.

"The boss went out and won't be back in a short time. But well, if you have anything, you can leave a message, and we will convey it to ensure that it is correct."

Slimani was stunned and puzzled:

"What? Balta is out? At this time?"

"Yes, this time!"

The shaving guy weighed the copper coins in his hand and seemed a little dissatisfied: "Do you have any opinions?"

Slimani was affected by the attitude of the other party and his face was ugly, but he still took a deep breath and said patiently:

"No, of course not, I'm just... but this is the Emerald Celebration, what the **** is he going to do..."

"Going to a party with old friends!" said the lead guy impatiently.

"Hey, stop talking nonsense! Either leave a message, or shave your head, or get out," another guy said bluntly, "We are not a police station, we also have a holiday, we have to celebrate, and we have to go back to accompany the wife and children, okay. ?"

As soon as this statement came out, several guys had a bad expression.

Slimani is a well-respected defense attorney, and he rarely suffers from such idleness on weekdays. Hearing the words, he looked angry and was about to walk away, but he turned around halfway, gritted his teeth and turned around, no Without pain, he took out a silver coin.

"Okay, then, can I wait here for the boss to come back?"

The guys exchanged glances. The leader had just unbuttoned his apron. Hearing this, he smiled and pointed to the hair art paintings that were all over the wall.

A few minutes later, Srimani wrapped his scarf and drape around, sat uneasily in a chair, and let the lead man, with a sharp razor in his hand, trim his hair and beard.

"That's great," sighed Sheila, boredly unraveling the flower ties, "now we're going to be here, waiting for him to shave his head. It's a real spy experience."

"Those people in the shop, they are on the road." Thales lowered his head and pulled out the flowers in his hat.

Xilae's eyes moved: "How do you know?"

"Have you ever seen a barber with such an aggressive attitude, as if waiting for a customer to come and beg him?"

"That's not necessarily true," Hilley curled her lips. "I know one. He holds scissors and a razor, like a magic gun."

Tales shook his head:

"There is only one explanation: this shop, they are not in the business of shaving hair, but selling other things."

"Like?"

"I don't know, but I think they should be from the Blood Bottle Gang, or a small gang under the Blood Bottle Gang."

Hillage said: "How do you know?"

"Because they're not like a fraternity."

"What?"

"The blood bottle gang and the Black Street Brotherhood have different sources of personnel. The difference is obvious. It can be seen from their demeanor, actions, habits, and the level of their dealings. Those guys are obviously..." Tai Les said subconsciously, but then he noticed the skeptical look from Hillary, "Oh, I, I heard what Wyya said, he's, um, well-informed."

Sheila glanced at him and reordered the flowers in her hands.

"Wya again?"

"Uh, yes, it's Wyya again."

"Which Wya?"

"Just, a certain Wyah."

The contemptuous Shi Lai and the embarrassedly smiling Thales looked at each other for a second.

"Well, I have to say, your 'a certain Wyya' is quite knowledgeable." Facing the crowd of people on the street, Shi Lai pouted, "He was at least half right. "

"Half?"

"The Brotherhood only entered the Emerald City more than ten years ago, and its power is only in the area of ​​Beimenqiao in the new suburbs. But the Blood Bottle Gang, as I said, they are stalkers, and they are familiar with the rules of the streets of the Emerald City. "You rarely see policing crimes with them like anywhere else: theft, extortion, kidnapping, robbery, murder—all the bad things that keep a businessman away."

"How do you know?"

"Please, Your Royal Highness, I grew up here."

"No, I'm asking, how do you know what 'elsewhere' is like?"

Sheila glanced at him.

"Oh, this, I heard 'Wya' say it."

Tales shrugged helplessly, biting "Which Wyah" in his mouth.

Remorseful.

Tales changed the subject:

"Then I guess, here, taking the Blood Bottle Gang as an example, the way they go to the streets to make a living is different?"

"Yes, they are largely integrated into the normal economy and production, at best a little out of the way."

"For example?"

Shila thinks about it:

"Not so much as gangsters, they are more like guilds, with the same occupation, the same situation, and the same region gathered in one place: barbers, shoemakers, blacksmiths, printers, coachmen, porters..."

"Then how do they make money?"

"Protection fees, taxes, transportation fees, intermediary fees, cooperation with large chambers of commerce, joint industry monopoly, operating a gray business in the cracks of the law... They use the legal and illegal way, from the prosperous Emerald City trade. To get a share of the pie, I heard that some of them are even directly involved in the business, almost no different from businessmen. As long as it is not too much to maintain within the bottom line, the Police Department will even cooperate with them.”

Tales frowned: "It sounds like an informal street wardens."

"Who said no?"

"And this is what Kevin Deere has indulged in for generations?"

"It's 'incorporation' and 'exploitation'," corrected Shiley, "'Staghorn' Duke of Cork - my great-grandfather believed that there are always things in this world that cannot be fully controlled, 'in good bread' There's always a gap'."

"Your great-grandfather...the one who made the maid who came to menstruation entertain vampire guests?"

"What?"

"It's fine."

While there was a chat, Thales was also paying attention to the movement in the shaving shop.

"I didn't expect that, the Duke of South Shore is quite knowledgeable," a poker player chatted, "When I came to the store today, I even asked where our razors and creams were purchased from, what prices, and how the market went up and down. You have to ask, unlike those knights in my country who only know how to show."

Slimani, who was sitting absent-mindedly in his chair, was startled.

"Oh, what's that!"

The guy who was shaving Srimani was shaving a cigarette and replied disdainfully:

"According to the boss, the Kevin Dill family has invested in a lot of business - of course, their family has a mine, and the business of Lijing in the territory is enough for him to make money. In short, the duke wants to pretend to be It couldn't be easier to be knowledgeable! Besides, how do you know it wasn't a cheat sheet prepared for him by his subordinates in advance?"

"What did you say?"

Slimani reacted and turned pale:

"You mean, Duke Jan was here today?"

"Isn't it," the man continued without noticing Slimani's expression, "Your lord is on a parade, the Duke's team will pass this street in the morning, and our shop will die. Folks, a must-visit model shop, haha, can you believe it? Us? Model? Hahaha!"

"Compared to Roger and Gutierrez's business, of course we are a model! Craftsmen! Why isn't it worth the Duke to go to the folks for a parade?" The card player had a bright face.

"Go deep into the people? I bah! Just like those knights in your country, just put on a show!"

The guy who shaved his head changed his hand to play soot, and seemed to be bitter:

"It is said to imitate the king and queen of hundreds of years ago, but in fact it is the same every year, but there are several fixed routes around the Emerald City. After all the oil was full, I walked down, smiled and shook hands with the little people like us, and asked for warmth, 'How old are the family members, how old is this year, how many people in the family are eating well, whether they are warm, and take care of themselves' and so on..."

Another poker guy turned his head and laughed: "I know, it's safe to give another long, stinky, 'I'm fine with you, I'll be better with you' **** speech. Very hypocritical..."

The shaved guy tutted his head and squeezed his throat:

"Of course, but basically everyone giggled and nodded in agreement, excitedly saying, 'We're having a great time'."

Slimani stared blankly at himself in the broken mirror, swallowed, and joined the small talk:

"Then, they, I mean, are you sincere when you're 'giggling and nodding' in the face of Duke Jane?"

The shaved guy raised his brows and shook the razor: "Yes, of course!"

He smiled sarcastically:

"You know how you feel when the dignified grand duke stands in front of you? Especially when you know he can squeeze you to death with the touch of a finger... Ha, he blinked his eyelids, You're heartbroken, he grins, and your legs are shaking!"

Listening to this, Srimani shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, I just shaved my crooked hair just now. I'll fix it for you."

The guy who shaved his head lit another cigarette, changed his pair of scissors, and shook his head in disdain.

Slimani stared blankly at the mirror, always harsh with his hairstyle, but ignored the mistakes that used to drive him mad.

Across the street, Thales was also fascinated, and unconsciously rubbed the flowers in his hand.

A poker guy lost a hand. He threw down his hand and took out a few coins:

"I know, especially when the duke is full of officials of all sizes standing behind them, shouting back and forth, embarrassed, smiling, and dozens of pairs of eyes staring at you intently, waiting for your answer!"

The guy who won the game laughed and held the money happily:

"And at the end of the team, the little official who directly controls your livelihood and can make you run out of money just by checking taxes for a reason is still looking at you with a smile and a face full of encouragement, 'Come on, there are Don't be afraid, tell the duke the truth'!"

"Truly he's paralyzed!"

"The truth? Like 'Hey, Lord, can you melt the golden urinal in the palace and give us a little more money'?"

"Dare to say that to your face? If you go back to being an official, you have to find the green skin, and then the green skin will find the boss, and the boss will melt you first when he comes back!"

"Hahahahaha..."

"No way, they are adults, masters, and nobles with good fate, what is it to melt you - oh brother, sit down, don't move around, I'm shaved and it's yours!"

Slimani nodded reluctantly, restraining his trembling body.

"At that time, let's not talk about petty complaints," the shaved guy exhaled a cigarette and continued, "No matter how big your grievances and sufferings are, you will dare to put together a thousand words to understand the current affairs." Life is good, thank you sir' isn't it? Hey, who can say, who dares to say this is not sincere? Your efforts must be sincere and sincere!"

"One copper coin," a guy in the game smiled, "I won't tell Boss Balta this."

"Grass you!"

"Yo, you guys are still very dissatisfied, so be content," Slimani said nervously amid the frolic, "Duke Tang shook hands with you, smiled and said hello, what else do you want? "

The guys exchange glances with each other.

Slimani said in a trance: "As a duke, Mr. Jenn cares about the people's well-being and your livelihood. He is always higher than him, and he doesn't care about the **** - such as the group of people in the north, such as Wang The gentlemen of the capital?"

The guy playing cards scratched his head: "Well, that's true, but at the time, I thought... oops, I just don't think it's right."

"He cares about a hammer!"

The shaved guy dropped the scissors, grabbed the razor and started shaving Srimani's beard:

"Don't look at the duke's smiling face, he seems to be easy to get along with...but I know, I just know, he cares about shit! Maybe he'll go back and talk to his subordinates quietly Those shaved heads are dirty'!"

"Yo, you're revealing your stuff, aren't you! The duke is an aristocrat and a man of culture," the poker player said lazily, "they can use too many words, and they are all literate, but they won't scold them. Foul language!"

"He's a **** duke! Lord of Emerald City!"

The shaved guy sneered:

"What he should do is not come to our shop and make a smirk, hold a useless hand, and wait for everyone to applaud - what is the use of doing this trivial thing? He should be sitting in the empty palace Sign a document, approve the budget, and repair the big pit in front of this street, and let the green skins come to the business less on credit. By the way, let’s reduce the litigation deposit for arrears lawsuits, don’t do it. Only the boss can afford the lawsuit..."

"Two coppers, I won't tell the boss!"

"Go!"

"He has to do that, to put on a gesture and soothe people's hearts," an older guy slowly poured himself a glass of water, "just like Boss Fogg who has to go shopping from time to time and visit the bosses. Yes, of course, the bosses from all over the world are polite, but they don't slap him in secret."

"But the bosses are still helping Fogg," the poker guy reminded.

"The Emerald City is different from the king, and we are also different from the black silk, the top is the top, but it's just a 'I recognize you as the boss but you don't bother me'," the shaved guy Hehe smiled, "The bosses of various sites have made business in all walks of life so prosperous, who is willing to cut the meat out? As for boss Fergie, yes, he is the boss in name, but he wants to be like the king in charge of the duke. ? Hey, it's difficult!"

In the shop, Slimani just sat in the chair, motionless, letting the man's razor shave back and forth.

Across the street, Thales clenched his fists.

"What are you doing? What are you thinking?"

Tales was startled and found that it was the bored Hillary holding flowers and drawing circles back and forth in front of his eyes.

"Power."

Tales sighed, remembering the battle of wits and courage with the Black Prophet in the Secret Division, and he was moved:

"Many times, power doesn't have to act at all. It can exert unimaginable effects as long as it stays there quietly and maintains its posture."

Sheila stared at him, not speaking for a long time.

"Okay, we're done, can you take a look?"

In the shaving shop, the guy lifts the scarf and drape and smiles and holds out his hand to Slimani.

Slimani came back to his senses, but he didn't have time to worry about his shaved head, so he quickly asked:

"Baltar hasn't returned yet?"

Dude shrugs, but doesn't retract his palms:

"The boss went to see a friend, maybe he drank too much, maybe he didn't come back."

Slimani frowned, walked and took out a silver coin and stuffed it into the hand of the worker. The latter was startled and hurriedly covered it under his clothes to avoid being seen by his fellow workers.

"Okay, I figured it out, did you offend a big man?"

Slimani's expression changed:

"You, how do you know?"

The guy gave a sly smile:

"Don't forget, we're barbers, and there's no one like us who can make people—say you—willfully put down all guard and expose vulnerable points such as eyes, nose, throat, etc., so calmly and dangerously Under the threat of a sharp razor?"

Slimani looks at the man in shock.

"Only at this time, in this chair that is left to be slaughtered, will people show their most relaxed and real side," the man touched the inner pocket containing the coins, "At this time, you get The news is often the most reliable - the eyesight of our guys is trained by Boss Balta, but it's poisonous."

Slimani was speechless.

"They're not shaved!"

Across the street, Thales took a deep breath and said suddenly:

"The shop is just a cover - these people are buying and selling underground news."

"How do you know?" Hillary looked suspicious.

"I..."

Tales paused, then reacted, and made up a lie unnaturally:

"Uh, did you see Srimani handing them silver coins? But that guy didn't give anything, just lip service, so the deal can only be news, right?"

Sheila narrowed her eyes, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Tales could only smile dryly.

The guy in the shop patted Slimani on the chair and said to him in the mirror:

"Okay, for your money's sake, don't say I didn't warn you: you're in trouble."

Slimani: "What?"

The guy flipped his fingers and the razor was played with a flower on his hand:

"Well, just the little couple across the street, the poor boy and the flower girl, they've been there for a long time, neither kissing nor selling flowers," the guy laughed, "it can't be Did you break up after the fight?"

The poor boy and the flower girl, no - Thales' eyes changed dramatically!

"You mean... I'm being followed?" In the shop, Slimani's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly looked across the street!

"Oops!"

Across the street, Thales gritted his teeth, he quickly looked away, and clasped Shi Lai's hand:

"We were seen through by them!"

Shila is shaking!

She pulled out her hands like being on fire, put them in her arms and tightened her gloves, letting the flowers spread all over the floor, her voice trembling:

"You—how do you know?"

"I just know, they're suspicious of us, don't look there! Hurry up—" Thales was about to stand up, but was stopped by the poor-looking Shi Lai who pressed his shoulders.

"Wait!"

Xile calmed her breath and gritted her teeth:

"It's too late to go now, it will only be more suspicious."

"What about that?"

"Cooperate with me," Sheila looked at the pedestrians on the street, "We're going to play."

"What are you playing?"

The next second, without waiting for Thales to react, Shi Lai posted it all over, and reached out and took off Thales' hat.

"Uh, don't," Thales felt a little uncomfortable looking at the girl who was so close, that she could even see her eyelashes, "Although I don't object, it's too much to be a couple at this time... and your brother will —"

"The ghost wants to pretend to be a couple with you!"

Xilee denied him coldly, which embarrassed Thales for a while.

The next second, Shi Lai stood up, threw Thales' hat into the sky, and said loudly with a smile on his face:

"Okay, enough rest! The show continues! Don't miss it, guys!"

Shi Lai's voice was soft and sweet~IndoMTL.com~ The crowd on the street gradually attracted their attention and stopped in front of Sheila.

Tales sat on the spot in a daze, unable to react.

But he also noticed that in the shaving shop across the street, the suspicious guy and Slimani were also stunned.

The next second, Xi Lai turned his head and threw a murderous eye knife at Thales.

His Royal Highness stood up abruptly, squeezed out a smile, and opened his arms to the people on the street:

"Take a look, take a look, it's a pity to miss it, it's a shame to walk by, take a look, everyone has a look!"

I saw Xilai shouting loudly, reaching out nimbly, catching the hat that fell from the sky, clasping her arm inward, pulling out a handful of fresh petals, and throwing it on the street!

As the sky rained and the audience exclaimed in unison, Xi Lai smiled and took a gesture of thanks for watching:

"The Emerald Celebration is full of joy! The magic family from the mysterious land, passed down to today's street magic masters - brothers and sisters Wyah and Wyana, here are you with a wonderful magic show!"