Early the next morning, Li Wei woke up from his bed at the inn. This was already the fifteenth day of the month. At the sa ti, his task of purchasing Table Salt would also be completed today.
It could only be said that it went very smoothly; it just wasn't very friendly to his gold coins.
After drinking all the water in his waterskin and eating so food, Li Wei finally exited his room and went downstairs. But today, sothing was amiss. The inn's windows were not open, the vile stench had grown stronger, and it was terribly silent behind the counter.
Could that old woman have died from the Plague?
Although, this didn't seem out of the ordinary.
Li Wei stood there, spacing out for a mont. Just as he was about to go forward to check, he heard a clatter as the inn's door was violently kicked open.
Startled, he swiftly leaped onto the stairs. Turning back to look, he saw a tall, burly soldier walking in, completely clad in black iron armor. He was wearing that sort of bucket-like helt that only exposed his eyes, and even his hands were covered in chainmail gloves.
This was practically a mobile steel fortress, a butcher on the battlefield!
It was a Garrison Knight of Kakh City!
Li Wei silently cried out in his heart that this was bad. Could his deeds have been exposed?
He slowly retreated, planning to escape from the second floor. The city gates should be open right now. As long as he ran fast enough—
Eh? That's not right!
Because from beginning to end, that Garrison Knight didn't spare him a second glance. Instead, he headed straight behind the counter and grabbed that dead old woman with one hand.
However, a bizarre scene then unfolded.
Li Wei had thought the old woman was dead. As a result, at this mont, she unexpectedly began to struggle frantically, screaming.
"I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm not a Witch! Don't burn to death! I only caught the Plague, and I haven't recovered yet! I'm not a Witch!"
But that Garrison Knight turned a deaf ear, violently dragging her out of the inn.
"Save ! Save ! Gods above, I'm begging you!"
That woman was still shrieking. When she passed by Li Wei, she pleaded with him. It was also at this mont, with the help of the light, that Li Wei finally got a clear look at her state. Her entire body was festering, covered in various small and large pustules. As they were violently dragged and scraped, they burst, oozing with thick yellow pus, making the vile stench even more foul.
Outside the door was a familiar carriage. It was precisely that kind of prison cart. Next to it was another knight mounted on a horse, similarly clad in heavy half-body armor, like a humanoid tank.
She was violently thrown inside. There seed to be another human figure inside as well; it was unknown whether it was dead or alive!
"I'm not a Witch! I'm not! Ah ah ah!"
Inside the prison cart, that woman frantically yanked on the iron bars, causing the entire carriage to shake along with her. Even the pulling horse began to grow restless. Her Strength was astonishingly great.
Li Wei watched from afar, truly feeling fear and trepidation. He felt this woman must have at least 15 points of Strength!
How did she do that?
"Bang!"
Through the iron bars, that heavily armored soldier struck her with a club. She fell over crookedly. Only a pair of pale gray eyes dead-stared at Li Wei. Her mouth consistently puckered and parted like a fish; what was she seemingly saying? Was there a ssage she wanted to convey, or was she chanting a spell?
Snow Mountain?
He could only distinguish these two words, and even then he relied on the instant translation system. Then, with a swish, a heavy cloth curtain fell, and everything beca quiet.
The carriage began moving, heading out of the city under the escort of the two heavily armored knights.
It was as if nothing had happened.
"Friend from afar, forgive the presumption of disturbing you."
Soone spoke from behind him. Li Wei turned back to look, only to see a middle-aged man wearing a black robe standing there with a smile on his face. Behind him was another heavily armored soldier.
Li Wei's heart shuddered violently. Now he knew, there absolutely existed a completely separate system within Kakh City. Looking at those two heavily armored knights just now, plus the one before his eyes, along with their ans of handling those infected with the Plague, it was sufficient to explain that this Kakh City was not simple.
Moreover, this black-robed man was very healthy, and seemingly completely unafraid of catching the Plague.
"Good day, honorable Lord. May I ask what the matter is?"
Restraining his urge to flee, Li Wei carefully inquired.
"Yes, there is a small matter. You have resided with a Witch together for several days. Although you were unaware, this is not your fault. However, we must confirm whether or not you have been hard by the Plague released by this damned Witch."
"I... I think I'm very healthy. Oh, of course, I am willing to cooperate. My Lord, how do you intend to confirm this?"
Li Wei was a bit panicked. He was already preparing to flee, even feeling that the other party had already recognized him. However, he still forced himself to calm down. The other party wasn't coming specifically for him, so he couldn't panic. His tailor friend had helped him put on a disguise yesterday.
"Hehe, my friend, please do not panic. I rely need a little drop of your blood. As you can see, it is that simple. And even if it's confird that you've been infected, we also possess mature ans of treatnt here." That black-robed man began to smile, pulling out a dagger, as well as a pristine white, delicate porcelain bowl.
Fuck!
Li Wei looked at that dagger stained with unknown black sars in his hand. Lastly, he could only bite the bullet. "My Lord, may I use my own dagger?"
"You may!"
The black-robed man handed the porcelain bowl over. Very carefully and very slowly, Li Wei drew out his own original dagger. Under the attentive gaze of that heavily armored soldier, he cut his fingertip and squeezed a few drops of blood down into it.
The black-robed man didn't say anything. He lowered his head to inspect those drops of fresh blood, sprinkled so unknown dicinal powder into it, and after observing for a brief mont, began to laugh.
"Congratulations, my friend from afar. You have not been hard by the Plague. I hope you enjoy your ti in Kakh City."
Saying so, he departed.
That simple? He hadn't recognized him. Great!
Li Wei watched the black-robed man as he returned to the Lord's castle under the protection of the heavily armored soldier. That place was like a dragon's pool and tiger's den shrouded in layers of fog.
Suppressing the various doubts in his heart, Li Wei didn't dare to go to the tailor shop again. He was afraid his identity might have already been suspected, and he was being monitored. He absolutely couldn't bring even greater disasters to that young man already fraught with hardships.
Therefore, he headed straight to the market, only to see that caravan packing up, looking as if they were prepared to depart.
"Young man, do you still wish to continue purchasing Table Salt?"
Seeing Li Wei, that caravan boss imdiately asked with a smile.
"Yes, sir. Still one kilogram."
Li Wei passed over two gold coins, sowhat nervously staring at the caravan boss. It wasn't until the other party handed over the 1000 grams of Table Salt that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. As of this mont, the five kilograms of Table Salt purchasing task had finally been completed.
"Young man, listening to your accent, you sound sowhat like soone from over in Weir Province. I don't wish to pry into why you are buying so much Table Salt, but for the sake of the gold coins, I do wish to offer you a piece of advice: Kakh City is not a place to linger for long."
Li Wei was startled. He greatly wished to imdiately inquire why, but he didn't. Instead, he imdiately took out another gold coin and quietly handed it over.
At this point, the caravan boss revealed an 'I know you understand' smile. Subsequently, he looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Have you ever heard of the Curse of the Kakh Family?"
Upon hearing this, Li Wei was taken aback, then imdiately shook his head.
"The Kakh Family is an ancient family that has already existed for five to six hundred years. Throughout history, they were once illustrious, even at one point becoming the Grand Duke Kakh. They intermarried with the royal family. From the distant Royal Capital, to Juniper Province, Cadel Province, and further to Weir Province, the legends of the Kakh Family spread in many places. However, this family of theirs seems to have been cursed by the gods. As long as they are persons possessing Kakh Family blood, n are prone to short lifespans, dying young, and being irritable, even up to going crazy. Yet, their combat strength would beco very strong, astonishingly strong."
"Won, on the other hand, have a certain probability of being bewitched by the devil, turning into Witches capable of spreading the Plague. They'd possess unbelievable abilities, as if they had stolen the power of deities. That innkeeper seized this morning seems to have actually been an illegitimate daughter left behind by the previous Lord during his wanderings outside. Sigh, she was quite beautiful when she was young. That face, that butt... my original intention coming here this ti was actually to rendezvous with my old lover. Who could have thought—she would actually turn into a Witch!"
The caravan boss seed sowhat emotional, yet huge waves surged in Li Wei's heart.
Because he seemingly knew what was going on, since it wasn't difficult to guess.
According to what that female Internal Affairs Officer Night Owl said, this family mission of theirs had already persisted for over five hundred years. This precisely corresponded to the words of the caravan boss regarding the developnt history of the Kakh Family from nothing to sothing, and from weak to strong.
However, during this process, it was inevitable to have so sort of relations with the natives. These players were also humans, and likewise possessed impulses.
Then, it was entirely natural they would leave behind bloodline descendants.
But these descendants truly did carry an elent of a BUG.
Even though the All-Heavens Lord Alliance advocated for ordered peace—advocated for safe, friendly, and sustainable pillaging—it still practically couldn't change the essence of pillaging.
Then quite naturally, they would be targeted by the current world.
Therefore, this led to the Curse of the Kakh Family, where n would go crazy, and won would turn into Plague-carrying Witches...
This could be considered a form of world purification, right?
In the future, the tasks of the Kakh Family would still carry on, and the targeted counterattacks originating from the world would inevitably gradually increase in pressure as well. Would there eventually be a day when this world of ordered peace turned into a Chaotic Killing Battlefield?
With an extrely complicated mood, Li Wei watched the caravan start moving and set off, leaving.
His task was also completed. Also, he still had 8 gold coins and 8 silver coins remaining. After thinking about it, he spent five silver coins to purchase five kilograms of Beans and so food, and left Kakh City thereafter.
In the future, there was a high probability he wouldn't be coming back.
But he could be certain that within twenty-four months, the legions of the Kakh City Lord would locate the family Camp. Simply because this was a war of inheritance that would not cease until one party died.
Winning the fight was impossible. Perhaps in the future, as ti progressed, so exceedingly aweso newbie player would smoothly develop with lightning speed—defeating the Kakh City Lord, ruling Kakh City, growing bigger and stronger, and recreating brilliance.
But equally so, there could be another entirely different ending: Kakh City was dood to die out completely. That sort of pathogenic Plague gene carried within the bodies of the female mbers of the Kakh Family might mutate one day.
Yes, there was a very high probability of this.
Once the Plague was upgraded, relying solely on the Level 1 Awakening of the Life attribute would probably not be enough to withstand it.
"However, taking everything regarding the current Main Task line into account, the family Camp and Kakh City are clearly hostile to each other. Therefore, will the subsequent tasks be to actively eliminate and destroy Kakh City? aning equivalent to destroying the evidence of previous cris to scrub off the stains, and reinventing oneself to start anew?"
Li Wei did not continue to think deeply about it, nor did he ponder whether this matter was righteous or not. He wasn't so kindhearted holy mother white lotus. The position of his own ass was clearly apparent to him.
Furthermore, frankly speaking, he didn't feel any resentnt towards this friendly, gentler, and sustainable plundering.
People always have to live, don't they?
Where was there any true win-win! If you developed, soone would inevitably be squeezed out.
Flipping through all history books, weren't the words hidden between the lines simply 'eating people' and 'plundering'?
The pot shouldn't call the kettle black!
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