Kingdom’s Bloodline Chapter 172: Magician

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

On the bustling street with people coming and going, Thales helped the little broken hat on his head, and whispered to Xi Lai beside him.

Miss Kevin Dill has already changed back to her practical and simple traveling clothes, her hair has become a bird's nest again, and she even threw a little ashes on her face. I don't think this is a noble lady.

"It's nothing, you used to wear fancy clothes, but today I saw that you are surprisingly suitable for this poor look."

Thales' expression froze.

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

He touched the standard "Civilian Passerby" costume that was rolled out from the theater, and the corners were torn up, with a strange expression on his face.

"It's your skin, it's too pampered, it doesn't match," Xi Lai ignored his doubts, "Ah, yes, don't move."

The eldest lady patted the base of the wall skillfully, and held the face of His Royal Highness without resistance ("What are you doing, don't, no, let go..."), wiped and rubbed vigorously.

"Well, this is much better."

Xilai looked at the work in front of him, nodded in satisfaction, then withdrew his scrutiny, and walked away: "Okay, don't be naughty, hurry up, the target is moving."

His Royal Highness was left alone, to be precise, it was the little poor Thales with a dusty and smoky face, shaking his fists and jumping on the spot.

As the most famous sightseeing and entertainment place, the streets of Iris District are full of celebrating crowds:

Drunkards who hold wine barrels and hold wine glasses in broad daylight are looking for people to clink glasses drunk all over the street; , gesticulating and lavishly spending; flower girls carrying baskets full of flowers, and smiling when they saw couples shopping; a group of ocean-going sailors who temporarily docked in the Emerald City gathered together and sang in unison "The Sharks Have No Dad" and " The end of the sea eye is your home", the lyrics are rude and vulgar and unbearable ("The merman crying and asking his mother, why do I have no dad in the whole sea? Hey! Because the heroic sailors drink wine every day and stand on the deck happily Smack it to the sea!"), the passing parents had to plug their children's ears, and warned them not to work hard when they were young, and grow up to be sailors;

The parade performance team passing by from time to time on the road set up a stage on the spot to publicize the reputation of their troupe or troupe; the local escorts and tour guides of Emerald City can appear in every corner, looking for outsiders to recommend themselves enthusiastically; from hotels and hotels The helpers of teahouses, restaurants or other small shops are dragging people all over the street to find business; and the hawkers pushing carts selling trinkets, eager to occupy every corner of the street stalls, struggling to cross the intersection of people coming and going Shouting jugglers, carriages carrying rich and expensive guests to various dates and banquets, and of course, the most important thing is the tourists who are all dressed up and wandering through the streets...

"Excellent Li crystal powder festival gift tube fireworks, imported from Hanbull, sea of ​​flames craftsmanship, assembled by local craftsmen, the same style as the imperial fireworks of Kongming Palace!"

Thales and Xilai passed a peddler, who was pushing a car full of fireworks and firecrackers, yelling and selling tirelessly, while trying to drive away the noisy children around:

"Twenty coppers for one round! Sixty for five rounds, one hundred for ten rounds! Buy more and get more free, and the effect will be even better!"

The targets followed by defenders Sri Mani Tiles and Hilley on this trip went to the street alone after the theater was over, blending in with the crowd, watching performances here and applauding, and shopping at street vendors to buy flowers there, but no matter where He didn't stay for long, and he looked back nervously from time to time along the way, looking distracted and preoccupied.

"Slimani is a well-known defender in the city. He is familiar with the law of the city and can speak eloquently. He has well-connected contacts in both the security hall and the trial hall, so the fees are high," Xi Lai squatted in a busy stall Before, he pretended to be playing with a doll, "but the more he charges, the more dignitaries will come to him to defend in court."

"I know, I've seen his performance in the trial court, even if he is as harsh as Judge Brennan, I can't find fault with him," Thales squatted beside her, but he kept paying attention to it from the corner of his eye. Looking at Slimani, who was sitting outside the restaurant opposite, staring at a glass of wine in a daze, "But when Slimani just talked to Kaguire, he didn't have any eloquent demeanor..."

"Indeed, he had a sad face along the way, unlike what a citizen of the Emerald City should look like during the Queen's Day celebration."

"He must know something," Thales nodded, and whispered, "whether it's about the dead Diop, or the people and things involved behind it. Don't go to Kaguire to inquire about the news from the palace."

In the distance, Slimani breathed out, as if he had made up his mind, he dropped a few coins and left the seat, as well as the glass of wine on the table that he hadn't even drank.

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

"Then you are going to show up to find him?"

"You can't be here, it's easy to be spotted by Zhan En's eyes and ears, you have to wait for him to go to a sparsely populated place..."

"Then understand it and move it with emotion, 'Come on, join Prince Thales, let's defeat the devil Zhanen together'?"

The two of them rejoined the crowd and stood behind Slimani, watching him first reward a group of buskers with a few copper coins, and then stop a flower girl, listlessly in her basket Picking flowers.

"If it's really not possible," Thales shook his head, ignoring the sarcasm in the other party's words, "we can only ask him in a 'civilized and polite manner'."

"What do you mean?"

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

Thales looked in surprise at the bouquet of flowers that suddenly appeared in Xi Lai's hand, which contained at least three colors or categories.

"Of course you gave it to me!" Cavendir's eldest lady was confident.

"What?"

Thales turned his head in a daze: At some point, a little flower seller with a flower basket was standing beside them, smiling and looking at Thales expectantly.

Hile raised his eyebrows:

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

Thales' expression froze.

A few minutes later, Xi Lai was walking on the street, happily playing with the flowers in her hands, while Thales touched the deflated money bag, thinking about what reason he would use to ask Zhan En to reimburse him.

"Be happy," Xi Lai branched out a flower and inserted it into the hole in Thales's hat, "After all, we are following, we have to blend in with the crowd, behave naturally, and don't be seen as flawed. "

While speaking, Slimani held a bouquet of flowers, wandered around, hesitated for a while outside an unremarkable barber shop, and finally walked in.

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

"I can't believe it, he walked like a headless chicken for so long, and finally came, uh, to shave his head?" Thales was a little helpless.

"Compared to this," Xi Lai said, "during the Emerald Festival, there are still shops open for business?"

Thales shook his head. He awakened the sin of the prison river, entered the "hell senses", focused on vision and hearing, and observed the movement in the shop across the street with people coming and going.

"Welcome, shave your head or trim your beard?"

Several clerks in the barber shop sat casually on the ground, playing cards one after another, and seeing customers coming, one of the clerks stood up lazily under the urging and squeeze of his companions, Pull the cover off the chair and tie it around your waist like an apron.

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

"Sorry, our manicure master went back to the countryside to get married."

The shaving guy's face was full of reluctance. He picked up a razor, dipped it in water, and scratched it casually on the whetstone: "But there is a discount during the Queen's Day. Two people can get one free... "

Slimani smiled unnaturally. He walked to a vase in the shop, took away the dead branches inside, and inserted the newly bought fresh flowers crookedly into it.

The buddy's eyes changed, and he stopped sharpening the knife in his hand.

"Oh, it's a nice flower," the guy winked at his companions, and the others dropped the game one after another, "Are you a regular customer?"

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

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

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

"The boss has gone out and won't be back in a short time. But, if there is anything, you can leave a message, and we will pass it on, and make sure it's word for word."

Slimani was stunned, a little puzzled:

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

"Yes, this time!"

The shaved man weighed the copper coin in his hand, and seemed a little dissatisfied: "Do you have any objections?"

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 just...but this is the Emerald Festival, what is he going to do..."

"I went to a party with old friends!" The lead guy said impatiently.

"Hey, stop talking nonsense! Either leave a message, shave your head, or get out," another guy said bluntly, "We are not a security department, we also have a holiday, we have to celebrate, and we have to go back to spend time with our wife and children. Is it?"

As soon as this remark came out, the guys all had bad expressions.

Slimani is a well-respected defender, and he seldom suffers such idleness on weekdays. When he heard the words, his face was not angry, and he was about to walk away in a fit of anger, but he turned halfway, gritted his teeth and turned around again. He took out a silver coin painlessly.

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

The guys exchanged glances. The leader had just untied his apron. Hearing this, he smiled and pointed to the hair art painting on the wall.

A few minutes later, Slimani put on a scarf and a veil, sat anxiously on a chair, and let the lead man trim his beard and hair with a sharp razor in his hand.

"That's great," Xie Lai sighed, and unwrapped the flower belt boredly, "Now we have to stay here until he finishes shaving his head. It's really 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.

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

"Which barber have you ever seen with such an attitude, as if waiting for customers to come to ask him?"

"That's not necessarily the case," Hilley pouted, "I only know one, who looks like holding scissors and razors, like holding a magic gun."

Thales shook his head:

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

"Like?"

"I don't know, but I think they should be members of 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 the demeanor, movements, habits, and the level of their dealings. And those guys are obviously..." Tai Ernes spoke subconsciously, but he immediately noticed the suspicious look cast by Hilley, "Oh, I, I heard what Wyer said, he, um, is well-informed."

Shirley glanced at him and rearranged the order of the flowers in her hand.

"Wiaia again?"

"Ah, yes, it's Wyia again."

"Which Wyah?"

"That's right, a certain Wyia."

The scornful Xi Lai and the awkwardly smiling Thales looked at each other for a second.

"Well, I have to say, your 'some Wyah' is quite knowledgeable." Facing the busy street, Xi Lai pouted, "he was at least half right. "

"Half?"

"The Brotherhood only entered the Emerald City more than ten years ago, and its influence is only in the area around the North Gate Bridge in the new suburb. But the Blood Bottle Gang, as I said, they are local snakes, and they are familiar with the rules of the streets of the Emerald City. "Hile said, "In their place, you rarely see security crimes like other places: theft, extortion, kidnapping, robbery, murder, all the bad things that keep businessmen away."

"How do you know?"

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

"No, what I'm asking is, how do you know what 'other places' are like?"

Shirley glanced at him.

"Oh, this, I heard what 'Wyah' said."

Thales shrugged helplessly, and bit "Which Wyah" to death in his mouth.

I really hold a grudge.

Thales changed the subject:

"Then I guess, here, taking the Blood Bottle Gang as an example, they have different ways of asking for life in the streets?"

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

"For example?"

Hey Lai thought about it:

"Rather than gangsters, they are more like guilds. People with the same occupation, the same situation, and the same region gather in one place: barbers, shoemakers, blacksmiths, printers, coachmen, porters..."

"Then how do they get money to operate?"

"Protection fees, taxation, transportation fees, intermediary fees, cooperation with large chambers of commerce, industry joint monopoly, operating gray businesses in the cracks of the law... They use legal and illegal methods from the prosperous Emerald City trade. To get a share, I heard that some of them even directly participate in the operation, almost no different from businessmen. And as long as it is kept within the bottom line and not too much, the Police Department will even cooperate with them."

Thales frowned: "It sounds like an informal street management."

"Who says no?"

"And this is the result of Kevin Dill's indulgence and instigation for generations?"

"It's 'incorporation' and 'utilization,'" Hilley corrected. "My great-grandfather, the Duke of Cork, the 'Gorgon', believed that there are always things in this world that cannot be fully controlled. Gap'."

"Your great-grandfather... the one who let the menstrual maid serve blood guests?"

"What?"

"It's fine."

Thales was paying attention to the movement in the barber shop while chatting with each other.

"I really didn't expect that, the Duke of South Bank is quite knowledgeable," a card player chatted, "When I came to the store today, where did we buy our razors and ointment, what price, the market went up and down. You have to ask, unlike those knights in my country who only know how to show off."

Slimani was sitting on the chair absent-mindedly, and was surprised when he heard this.

"Hey, what's the matter!"

The guy who was shaving Slimani's head was smoking a cigarette, and answered with disdain:

"I heard from the boss that the Kevin Dill family has invested in a lot of business, of course. They have mines in their family. The asphalt crystal business in the territory alone is enough for him to earn. Anyway, the Duke wants to pretend to be a knowledgeable person. Look, it couldn’t be easier! 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, his face pale:

"You mean, Duke Jann has been here today?"

"Isn't it?" The man continued without noticing Slimani's expression, "Your lord is on a parade. The Duke's team passed this street in the morning. Our shop is so alive that we were chosen as the Duke's in-depth Folk, a must-visit model store, haha, do you believe it? Us? Model? Hahaha!"

"Compared with Roger and Gutierrez's business, we are of course a model! Craftsmen! Why is it not worth the Duke's visit to the people?"

"Go deep into the folks? Pooh! Just like those knight masters in your country, just show off!"

The guy who shaved his head changed his hand to flick the ashes, it seems that he has suffered a lot:

"It is said that it is imitating the king and queen parading the people hundreds of years ago, but in fact it is the same **** every year, but there are a few fixed routes around the Emerald City, and a large number of servants are waiting on the saddle, the little duke Then they walked down in clusters full of greasy faces, smiling and shaking hands with us little people, asking about their health, 'how old are you this year, how many people in your family are eating well, are you wearing warm clothes and taking care of your body', etc..."

The other card player turned his head and laughed: "I know, it's safe to give another long and stinky 'I'm fine with you, and I'll be better with you' nonsense speech. Very hypocritical..."

The guy who shaved his head shook his head and squeezed his throat:

"Of course, basically everyone also smirked and nodded in cooperation, and responded excitedly with 'we have a great time'."

Slimani stared blankly at himself in the broken mirror, swallowed his throat, and joined the chat:

"Then, they, I mean, were you sincere when you 'smirked and nodded' in front of Duke Jann?"

The guy who shaved his head raised his eyebrows and shook his razor: "Yes, of course!"

He smiled ironically:

"When the majestic Grand Duke stands in front of you, do you know how you feel? Especially when you know that he can crush you to death with a single finger... Ha, he blinked, Your heart is going to collapse in fright, and he grinned, and your legs are shaking!"

Hearing this, Slimani shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, I got a crooked shave just now, I'll fix it for you."

The guy who shaved his head lit a cigarette again, changed his pair of scissors, and shook his head disdainfully.

Slimani stared blankly at the mirror. He was always harsh on his hairstyle, but he ignored this mistake that would drive him crazy in the past.

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

A card player lost a hand, he threw down his hand angrily, and took out a few coins:

"I know, especially when the duke is full of officials big and small standing behind him, they are hugging each other in fear, smiling, and dozens of pairs of eyes are staring at you and waiting for your answer!"

The buddy who won this round laughed and happily collected the money:

"And at the end of the line, the little official who is directly in charge of your livelihood, just looking for excuses to check taxes can make you unable to eat around, is still looking at you with a smile on his face, encouraging 'Come on, yes Say what you want, don't be afraid, tell the truth to the Duke'!"

"To be honest, he is paralyzed!"

"Really? Like, 'Hey my lord, can you melt down the golden urinal in the palace and give us a raise'?"

"Dare to say that in person? If you want to be an official later on, you have to find Qingpi who is in charge of this area, and then Qingpi will go to the boss. When the boss comes back, he will melt you first!"

"Hahahahaha..."

"I can't help it, they are adults, they are lords, they are nobles with good fate, what are you if you are melted, brother, sit down, don't move around, I will be yours if I get shaved!"

Slimani reluctantly nodded, restraining his trembling body.

"At that time, don't say it's just a small complaint," the guy who shaved his head took a puff of smoke, and continued, "No matter how great your grievances and sufferings are, you dare to put thousands of words into a sentence that understands current affairs' Life's good, thank you lord' isn't it? Hey, who's to say, who's to say it's not **** sincere? It's better than my **** kowtow when I ask my boss for back pay' I know I know, thank you boss Your efforts' must be sincere and sincere!"

"A copper coin," a guy in the game chuckled, "I won't tell Boss Balta about that."

"Grass you!"

"Hey, you guys are still very dissatisfied, please be content," Slimani said nervously amidst the frolic, "The dignified duke shook hands with you and greeted you with a smile, what else do you want? "

The guys exchanged glances with each other.

Slimani said in a trance: "As a duke, Mr. Zhann cares about the sufferings of the people and your livelihood. He is always above him, and he doesn't care about things. For example, those people in the north, such as those in the capital Sir?"

The card player scratched his head: "Well, that's true, but at the time, I thought... oh, anyway, I just don't think it's right."

"He cares about a hammer!"

The guy who shaved his head dropped the scissors, picked up the razor with a pooh sound, and began to shave Slimani:

"Don't look at the duke with a smile on his face, he looks easy to get along with...but I know, I just know, he cares about a fart! Maybe he will quietly gossip with his subordinates as soon as he turns around. Those shaved heads are so dirty!"

"Hey, you're showing off! The Duke is an aristocrat and a man of culture," the card player lazily said, "They know how to use a lot of words, and they are all polite, but they can't scold. Swearing!"

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

The guy who shaved his head sneered:

"Shouldn't he come to our shop and put on a smirk, shake a useless hand, and wait for everyone to applaud and say that this trivial thing is useless? He should sit in the Kongming Palace and sign File a document, approve the budget, repair the big hole in front of this street, and let the green skins spend less money on credit for business, and by the way, lower the litigation deposit for the wage arrears lawsuit, don't make it only A boss can afford a lawsuit..."

"Two copper coins, I won't tell the boss!"

"Get out!"

"He has to do that, to put on a gesture and calm people's hearts," a slightly older guy slowly poured himself a glass of water, "just like Boss Fogg going shopping from time to time to visit the bosses. Yes, of course, the bosses everywhere are polite on the surface, but they don’t like him very much behind the scenes.”

"But the bosses are still playing for Fogg." The card player reminded.

"The Emerald City is not the same as the king, and we are not the same as the black silk, the upper class belongs to the upper class, but it just means 'I recognize you as the boss but you don't bother me'," said the shaved man He laughed, "The bosses of various sites have made the business of all walks of life so prosperous, who wants to cut the meat out? As for the boss of Fogg, yes, he is the boss in name, but he wants to intervene in these businesses like a king manages the duke ? Hey, it's hard!"

In the shop, Slimani just sat on the chair in a daze, motionless, letting the clerk's razor go back and forth to shave.

Across the street, Thales clenched his fists.

"What are you in a daze? What are you thinking?"

Thales was startled, and found that it was the bored Xi Lai holding up flowers and drawing circles back and forth in front of his eyes.

"Power."

Thales sighed, remembering the battle of wits and courage with the Black Prophet in the secret department, and expressed his feelings:

"Many times, power does not need to act at all. It only needs to stay there quietly and maintain a posture, and it can exert unimaginable influence."

Herei stared at him and didn't speak for a long time.

"Okay, the shaving is over, can you take a look?"

In the shaving shop, the clerk lifted up the scarf and drape, and stretched out his hand to Slimani with a smile.

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

"Balta hasn't come back yet?"

The man shrugged his shoulders, but he didn't retract his flat palm:

"The boss is going to see a friend, maybe he drank too much, maybe he won't come back."

Slimani frowned, took out a silver coin as he walked, and stuffed it into the hand of the clerk. The clerk was startled and quickly hid it in his clothes to avoid being seen by his fellow workers.

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

Slimani's face changed when he heard the words:

"You, how do you know?"

The guy smiled slyly:

"Don't forget, we are barbers. Who else is like us who can make people, for example, you willingly let go of all guards, and expose your eyes, nose, throat and other vulnerable points to the sharp razor so calmly and dangerously?" Under threat?"

Slimani looked at the fellow in shock.

"Only at this time, in this chair that is allowed to be slaughtered, people will 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 is poisonous."

Slimani was speechless.

"They really didn't shave their heads!"

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

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

"How do you know?" Xi Lai looked suspicious.

"I..."

Thales paused, and then he realized that he made up a lie unnaturally:

"Um, did you see Slimani handing them silver coins? But the guy didn't give anything, he just talked about it, and the deal can only be news, right?"

Hile narrowed his eyes, his eyes full of disbelief.

Thales could only smile dryly.

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

"Well, for the sake of your wealth, don't say I didn't warn you: you're in trouble."

Slimani was surprised: "What?"

The guy flipped his fingers, the razor was tricked in his hand:

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

The poor boy and the flower girl, but Thales' eyes have changed dramatically!

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

"Oops!"

Across the street, Thales gritted his teeth. He quickly looked away and grabbed Xi Lai's hand:

"We were seen through by them!"

Hilley shuddered!

She pulled out her hand as if being burned, put her hands together in her bosom and tightened the gloves tightly, letting the flowers scattered all over the ground, her voice trembling:

"How do you know?"

"I just know, they're suspicious of us, don't look there! Let's go!" Thales was about to stand up, but Xi Lai, who was looking bad, pressed his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait!"

Xilai took a breath, gritted his teeth and said:

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

"So what?"

"Cooperate with me," Xi Lai looked at the pedestrians all over the street, "let's put on a play."

"What play?"

In the next second, without waiting for Thales to react, Xi Lai posted up, reached out and took off Thales' hat.

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

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

Healy denied him with a single word, which made Thales embarrassed for a while.

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

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

Xilei's voice was soft and sweet, and the people passing by on the street gradually attracted their attention and stopped in front of Xilai.

Thales sat there in a daze, unable to react~IndoMTL.com~ But he also noticed that in the barber shop across the street, the skeptical guy and Slimani were also stunned.

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

His Royal Highness was shocked, stood up abruptly, squeezed out a smiling face, 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 pity to pass by, take a look, everyone has a look!"

I saw Xilai yelled, stretched out his hand deftly, caught the hat that fell from the sky, buckled his arm inward, and pulled out a handful full of flower petals, and sprinkled it on the street!

The flowers and rain fell all over the sky, amidst the exclamation of the street audience, Xi Lai smiled like a flower, and put on a gesture of thanks for watching:

"The Emerald Celebration is boundless joy! The magic family from the mysterious land, the brothers and sisters of the street magic masters Wyia and Wyana who have been passed down to today, present a wonderful magic show for you here!"

(End of this chapter)