The Divine Hunter Chapter 26: Reversal

Novigrad.

Not long after the Harvest Festival, the shops along the street are still decorated with lights, and garlic, mistletoe and other evil spirits are hung on the walls of every household.

The salty sea breeze blew from the port and poured into the Golden Sturgeon Tavern in the corner of the civilian area.

Lund took a deep breath at the wine table and greedily took a sip of Vizima stout. The foam splashed into the air, exuding a rich aroma of burnt malt.

The sunlight filtering through the window revealed his bloodshot brown eyes and uneven yellow teeth.

"Old man, this business is so profitable that I am willing to drink high-end products..." The crumpled bartender smiled and gave him another glass of dark-brown drink. He leaned on the table with his elbows and overlapped his hands. He held his chin up and said, "Won't you show your old friend a way to make money?"

"Bah, bah... What a way to make money, it's still the crappy spice business... The captain was lucky some time ago and grabbed an unprecedented big order. I can also make some profit... I can work here for a few years. "Lund wiped the wine stains on the gray beard on his chin, with a trace of sadness on his round face that was rough and reddened by the sea breeze all year round.

"But I am old and weak, my energy is getting worse day by day, and I no longer have the energy I had when I was young. I plan to retire after this trip... Before that, I have one last drink of high quality. Why, you still don't allow it. ?"

"Retirement is the most important thing in life! How can we end it so hastily?" The bartender patted his chest, "When you come back, my old friend will treat you to a free drink for a day!"

"It's a deal, you brag, don't drown yourself!"

Lund put down his wine glass heavily and turned his eyes. He noticed that at the window on the right side of the hall, a man wearing a cloak, a broken nose, and a tough temperament had just sat down.

"Let's talk next time. The guys on the ship are still waiting for me. It's time to set off!" Lund straightened the collar of his greasy leather jacket, grabbed the tawny hat on the table, and put on his cloak again. Stand up unsteadily.

Passing by the cloaked man's table, I touched his table.

After leaving the Golden Sturgeon Tavern, Lund took out a piece of paper and glanced at it. With a smile on his face, he walked towards the circular port in the west of Nuo City.

He walked very cautiously, with his cloak and hat covering his hunched body. He always ducked into sparsely populated alleys along the way, twisting and turning, looking left and right from time to time as if he was worried about something.

He kept mumbling prayers.

"My God, Goddess Freya, I will wash my hands in the golden basin after finishing this job. I will pay my respects to you every month and keep me safe and sound!"

Perhaps his prayers had an effect. Apart from a few beggars, he didn't meet anyone along the way, including the guards of the eternal fire that he was most worried about, and the nosy demon hunters.

Novigrad's huge and luxurious port.

The rising sun shines on the sparkling sea. Dozens of tall masts on large ships are bathed in the sea breeze, making them look particularly leisurely and comfortable.

Flocks of seagulls screamed strangely, hovering in the sky, or swooping across the water from high altitudes, squatting and jumping on the rocks on the shore, or basking in the sun on the decks of moored ships. .

Lund’s gaze focused on one of the blue barges for a long time.

He bypassed the sailor pushing the wheelbarrow, walked to the warehouse on the far right side of the port, and nodded to two guards wearing brown chain mail, gray leather hats on their heads, and long swords at their waists.

Entered the warehouse.

There are already more than twenty muscular, bronze-skinned sailors wearing various weapons waiting in the warehouse, as well as two women.

The man in the middle is wearing a hooded cloak, covering most of his face, but his thick mane-like hair, black beard and amber pupils are vaguely visible.

"Londe, you bitch, you drank a glass of wine for so long, I almost thought you had an accident!" Next to the hooded man, a big man with a red face and an archipelago-style buffalo horn helmet cursed. Said, "According to the rules, you have to accept the punishment. You don't want the bonus this time!"

"Hammond, the business is closed. I am risking my life to receive the news for everyone's benefit!" Lund said with a gloomy face, "Penalize me? The worst is to break up!"

"Okay, stop arguing," the hooded man reached out to stop him. A pair of amber pupils turned to Lund's face and asked in a deep voice, "What do you say over there?"

"Everything goes well, boss! Tonight..." The man immediately grinned ingratiatingly, showing his yellow teeth, and handed the note to the man.

The hooded man nodded, with a hint of relief on his face, "One person per car, get on the boat and wait, and pick up the goods in the evening! This business is basically foolproof. After returning from Skellige, everyone's salary will be increased by 20%!"

"Leave? Where do you want to go? Just stay here!"

A low and depressed voice suddenly sounded, and everyone's expressions changed drastically.

"Bang——"

The door of the warehouse was kicked open heavily.

A tall and burly man with tight leather armor and two swords on his back walked into the warehouse. His shiny head reflected the fading sunlight outside, and his features were as tough as rocks.

He casually threw a man hiding in a cloak with a broken nose on the ground.

It’s really the face that delivers the news in the Golden Sturgeon Tavern.

Lund's face changed drastically.

Two thinner men quickly rushed in beside the bald man.

They threw the two unconscious guards to the ground, one on the left and the other on the right, closed the warehouse door, folded their hands on their chests, and looked around at everyone with a sarcastic arc at the corners of their mouths.

They all have one thing in common, beast-like amber vertical pupils.

"Witcher?"

The twenty or so people in the warehouse couldn't help but take a step back, with deep fear on their faces. They grabbed their weapons, but did not dare to act rashly.

They have seen the fighting power of their boss.

And now three equally difficult enemies appear.

"Who are you? Don't you understand the rules of the dock?" The hooded man suddenly took a step forward, stretched out his hands and pressed back, signaling his subordinates not to be impulsive, "Trespassing into a private warehouse is a serious illegal crime. !"

"I have an irreversible friendship with Judge Said of the Novotown Court." He said righteously, "When I go to court, you will have to work in vain for a year!"

"Man...are you really stupid or are you pretending to be stupid? As a demon hunter, the information is so limited?" The man with the mountain-shaped hairline on the left picked his teeth with his little finger in boredom, his eyes disdainful. Shaking his head, "You still don't know what our identities are?"

"We accepted the commission from Eternal Fire to arrest human traffickers in Nuo City and combat the human trade!" The man with scarlet pupils on the far right and a small scar on his chin continued, shaking his head, "But I didn't expect that the human traffickers would be all over the place. I'm on the verge of death, and suddenly a thorn like you pops up... Cat-sect demon hunters don't accept commissions honestly, why do they surrender? Do these scandalous things that are harmful to the world!"

Lambert continued, "That's not normal. We have killed all other criminals. Only the 'skilled and bold' demon hunters will rise to the challenge!"

"What kind of human trafficker?!" Judd Carradine lifted his hood, revealing a face with rough features and thick hair. He said calmly, "You must have misunderstood me and my crew. What we do is a serious, legally permitted business! Specifically, we transport local products from Novigrad to the Skellige Islands for sale, and then transport spices and precious herbs back from the islands. Make a profit! Earn a lot of hard work Money!"

"Snake sect, wolf sect, and my friends from the same sect, what are your names?" Kaladin's amber holes passed through the pendant around the anxious man's neck one by one,

Aiden remained silent, he didn’t know this guy.

Kaladin doesn't mind either, "I don't think there's any law that stipulates that witchers are not allowed to do business, right?"

He turned around and pointed at the truck behind him, "If you don't believe it, just search it! There are legal goods and supplies along the way!"

"You are maintaining order for the Eternal Fire, but you can't just talk nonsense and ruin your reputation in vain!" The buffalo horn helmet irritably slapped his chest, "Otherwise, how can we do business in the future?"

……

Leso's cold light swept over several people one by one. "You can't find anything in the truck, right? But with so many supplies, the crew only has about twenty people. I'm afraid it will take a year."

His tone turned cold,

"I guess there are also those slaves who have not yet boarded the ship?"

Next to him, Lambert's eyes gleamed, and he said something that made a group of people's expressions change drastically, "Your real goods will not be shipped to the blue barge in the middle of the port until ten o'clock tonight."

Aiden added the final blow, "No. 260, No. 260, civilian area of ​​Nuo City, twenty-five boys and sixteen girls."

"Your accomplices have confessed everything. Now according to the rules, on behalf of the law of Nuo City, we will inform you in advance to put down your weapons, surrender, and wait for a fair trial. You may be able to save your life."

Judd Carradine suddenly took a deep breath, exchanged a look with his companion, and bowed slightly, like a cat preparing to prey.

"Three masters, you are working for Eternal Fire for money, right? I will pay double the amount promised by Eternal Fire."

"My request is very simple. I only need a few people to turn a blind eye or close one eye, and they can easily earn this considerable extra money."

"And I swear, this batch of goods has nothing to do with Nuo City. They are all foreign goods. They have never violated your rules. How about being more liberal?"

"Twice is not enough..." Lambert grinned, showing his pale teeth, and glanced at everyone one by one, as if he was looking at the goods, "There are so many of you, and you need at least ten times the reward!"

"Whoosh-" The mixed-race female elf took action without any warning, drew an arrow from her short wooden bow and shot at the bald man in the center.

But her arrow speed is as slow as a snail for a demon hunter!

Leso shook his wrist casually and knocked away the arrow. The arrow bounced diagonally and hit a sailor in the chest.

The unlucky man collapsed holding his chest!

"Vienne is dead, avenge him!"

"Everyone attacks together! Kill them all!" Seeing that the situation was irreversible, Judd Kaladin shouted.

A group of henchmen charged towards the witcher, wielding blades.

"Leave Kaladin to me."

Aiden held the sword in his hand horizontally on the side of his face, got up in the bull position, and looked at his fellow Cat Faction members.

Two pairs of vertical pupils collided across the crowd, creating sparks.

Lambert blocked the doorway with a steel sword in his right hand.

Leso crossed the two swords of the Snake Sect in front of his chest with both hands and faced the attacker.

The three men rushed towards him, brandishing their swords, but for a moment, they were dazzled by the sword light reflected from the sharp blade.

They lost consciousness without seeing the bald man's movements clearly.

Blood spewed wildly from his neck and chest, and he fell to the ground on his back.

The bald man turned around and jumped into the crowd like a meat grinder.

Dancing in the whirlwind of death!

The skin, muscles, and bones were shattered under the double swords of the Snake Sect.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Two people attacked Lambert.

Lambert strode forward, turned the tip of his sword, and cut a man's throat.

Alder with his left hand knocked down the second man, and the blade of the sword pierced the eyeball and brain at an angle.

Lambert wiped the blood from his face.

Two other men with ferocious faces approached him.

Lambert ignored it and allowed the sword blade and mace to hit the shield of Quen. When the shield was shattered, the steel sword opened a straight line of blood in front of him. The two of them covered their throats and choked the blood. , fell to his knees, cheeks touching the ground.

Next, the wolf-sect demon hunters danced a dance combining magic and skills freely among the crowd.

The warehouse erupted with sword light, fire, air impact, blood, screams, and wails.

The thick blood dyed the hay on the ground red.

In less than twenty seconds, Leisuo and Lambert killed all the ordinary people.

Two demon hunters with amber eyes and wearing Cat Pie badges collided at the other end of the warehouse.

They rushed towards each other and engaged in a fierce exchange. The two sharp sword blades collided with each other. The dull, short sound of gold and iron clashing sounded in the warehouse, the sword shadows rippled all over the sky, and the hay spread on the ground trembled and shook.

"Excellent skills." They each took a step back. Jared Carradine's shoulders were red and he gasped. He glanced at all his companions who were lying in a pool of blood, and a trace of deep sorrow and fear flashed in his eyes. "But why? Why do witchers sacrifice their lives for the eternal fire and draw swords against their own kind?"

He asked hoarsely,

"Where has the principle of neutrality gone?"

"Man, when you no longer abide by neutrality, who have you to question others?" Lambert, who was watching the battle, interjected, "What's more, Novigrad is our other home now. Protect our homeland from evil." Intrusion from forces, who cares whether China is neutral or not!"

"What is evil and what is good?" Judd slowly took a step back and continued to ask, "Do you think that after you wipe out our group, there will be no other human traffickers?"

"Do you think those poor wanderers can escape their suffering and get a better life after leaving the cabin?"

"Maybe it's better to sell it to Skellige!"

"And I do this just to live! I just want to save some money and become a rich man. Am I wrong?!"

The expressions of the three demon hunters did not change.

"Come on, man, don't waste your breath and confuse right and wrong." Aiden spread his front and rear legs apart, making a defensive posture like a crab, and made a sword dance with the long sword in his hand, "You have been in recent months, The first witcher we saw in Nuo City."

"So we give you another choice, drop your weapons and surrender, immediately, immediately!"

"Maybe you can save half your life."

"Don't try to fool me," Judd shook his head. "Enter the prison of eternal fire. All that awaits me is torture and the gallows!"

"How about we talk about a business deal?" He gritted his teeth and changed his policy, "I have struggled for most of my life and saved a sum of money, about 20,000 crowns. I originally planned to keep it for retirement and find a wife. , adopt a few children..."

He longed for the Tao,

"When the time comes, you won't need to lick blood with your knife and become a despised demon hunter, or a criminal as you call it!"

"But if you lose your life, what's the use of asking for money?"

"I will give my savings to the three of you, give me a chance to leave!" He unbuttoned his chest, revealing the cat pie pendant, and raised it up, "I will use my luck for the rest of my life to My ideals and wishes swear that I will leave Nuo City from now on, never return, never take revenge! And I will never engage in any business that is harmful to nature!"

"Otherwise I will suffer pain and humiliation and die. Please spare my life, please."

"Sir, you should know that because of Cat Pie's unique grass trial formula, many companions have lost control of their emotions. How many of them have never done evil? Including your mentor, what is his name? Helodinger? Qiao Ai You?... Tell me and listen, maybe I will recognize you."

Aiden’s eyes narrowed and he remained silent.

"Three of you, ask yourselves, have you ever committed any illegal crime?" Kaladin raised his face and asked in a hissing voice, "Is it true that if you make one mistake, you must die?"

"Can't there be a chance to reform?"

"I am willing to give up all the chances of living!" Jared Kaladin dropped his weapon and knelt down in front of the three men.

The body trembled and his head hung down.

Aiden narrowed his amber pupils, turned the sword, and fell into deep thought.

Leso and Lambert blocked the door with their hands folded, saying nothing.

They left the decision to their fellow cats.

……

"Spear Cave".

Novigrad is the most famous and popular recreational place among the people.

Three demon hunters sat around a wine table in the corner of the hall, with empty cups in front of them.

The bald man and the demon hunter with a mountain-shaped hairline have clear eyes. The third demon hunter with a scar on his chin smells of alcohol and has a drunken blush on his face.

"That's enough, Aiden! Just stop it!" Lambert shook his head and threatened, "If you drink any more, do you believe I will throw you into a pigsty later?"

"Hiccup... Judd Carradine knelt down for me, and I made him stand up again and killed him." Aiden looked at the magic lamp on the ceiling dimly, with a trace of depression on his face .

He had killed many monsters before, but this was the first time in his life that he killed a demon hunter from the Cat School.

This is not supposed to be a happy event.

However, when the guy fell down clutching his neck, he actually felt a sense of relief in his heart - as if he had ended some terrible threat, and he had escaped from the sticky and suffocating doom.

He was given a new lease of life.

Aiden was puzzled by this.

"That was his life." Lei Suo's dull voice rang out, with an inexplicable power to soothe people's hearts, "He died in a fair and just contest, rather than being humiliated by the eternal fire." Death... is an honorable end for any witcher. You have shown him mercy."

"Just kill him, why bother. We have killed all his buddies, and sparing him another life is like letting the tiger go back to the mountains. There is no chance that he will be retaliated at any time." Lambert drank a glass of "Iron Gloves" in one breath ", exhaling the breath of alcohol, "Everything is the will of fate, not everyone has the chance to change their ways."

This is a common excuse used by witchers, blaming everything on fate. ~IndoMTL.com~ Respect the fate of Dog Day! ”

"The fate of Respecting Dog Day!"

"Duang..."

Three glasses collided in mid-air, and wine splashed everywhere.

After this drink, Aiden finally put down his glass.

"Listen to me, you will change positions tomorrow, stay at home for a while, and teach your children well...Leave the matter of Eternal Fire to me." Lambert patted his shoulder and winked at him , "You should take some time to relax and unwind with Eskar... The horned night devil has its own uniqueness."

"If I'm going to do this, won't Eskar try my best to fight for it?" Aiden shook his head and smiled, suddenly feeling much more relaxed, "Besides, I'm not you, a hopeless censor! I don't have this Such a disgusting and perverted hobby!"

"Drink enough, you two, it's time to go home." The bald man looked through the window and saw a slender young man with heterochromatic pupils on the street. He was followed by a sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked man walking coquettishly. Dirty man, "Get ready to receive guests!"