NOVEL WEB chapter 161
Damn it! (Vote for me at the beginning of the month!)
The whistle was like the eerie shriek of some strange creature, resonating in the night sky.
Compared to the drifting whistle used by the hyena gang for communication, this whistle was much clearer, carrying a chilling aura, more like a signal heralding the approach of war.
“This… this is the guard!”
Shulzi cried out in terror, the side effects of the drugs amplifying his fear. This man, who usually killed without blinking, now appeared pale.
The wild dogs lurking on the outskirts had long sensed something was off and quickly retreated. As his words fell, footsteps and the sound of hooves suddenly echoed from the ends of the roads.
The guards in black uniforms surged into this nearly abandoned district on the edge of the city like a tide.
They raised large shields at every intersection, half-height crossbows were rolled out, and the sharp arrow tips glinted ominously, strikingly clear even in the pitch-black night.
Swish!
Suddenly, blinding lights illuminated the scene.
Among the guards, a magician conjured a concentrated beam of light, clearly revealing the elite in the center, the thugs, the rats, and that face hidden beneath a black cloak, altered by disguise, now utterly dazed.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What is happening?
Isn’t this supposed to be a perfect black-on-black operation? Why is there a guard squad?
“Listen, people inside, you are surrounded!”
A rotund guard, clearly of a much higher rank, peered out from behind the large shield, his plump face half-exposed, his magically amplified voice echoing throughout the entire block.
“Someone reported that you are engaged in illegal transactions, theft, robbery, and even soliciting prostitution. Quickly put down the stolen goods, place your hands on your head, and squat against the wall!”
“You have one minute to consider. If you do not cooperate, we will take coercive measures. I repeat, we will take coercive measures!”
Creak—
The grating sound of a bowstring being drawn echoed, the half-height crossbow was readied, its massive arrow poised to strike.
This was no toy like the ones the rats wielded; this kind of crossbow was typically found only at watchtowers and on city walls, powerful enough to pierce the hearts of beasts and walls several meters thick!
But this terrifying weapon was now being rolled out, aimed at them, the small fry who only dared to operate in the lower city!
A sudden absurd feeling washed over everyone, as if they were mere insects beneath the gaze of a giant.
“Wha… what’s going on?”
Lorenzo, who prided himself on witnessing countless grand affairs, was now stuttering in confusion. He angrily shouted at his trusted aide:
“What’s happening? Didn’t we say the guard squad was all set? Why are they here? Why haven’t we received any news, and what the hell are those ridiculous accusations? Illegal transactions, theft, robbery, fine, but soliciting prostitution? Would we even drag that kind of thing out? Did we accidentally offend some noble’s precious daughter?”
“I… I don’t know…”
The aide, pale-faced, wiped his cold sweat, “I did everything I was supposed to do, the deputy governor of the guard squad even assured me with a pat on the chest!”
“Are you sure? Look at that guy who just shouted, doesn’t he look like the deputy governor you mentioned?”
“What?”
The aide cautiously poked his head out from behind the wall, and sure enough, he saw the deputy governor, who had recently shared drinks with him, discussing whether mature women or young girls were more appealing, now crouching behind the large shield, obsequiously talking to another balding middle-aged man.
“You b*stard, I’ll expose your pedophilia when I get back!” The aide, feeling deceived, was furious.
“Damn it!”
Lorenzo couldn’t help but curse again.
Then came another round of silent stillness.
The three gang leaders exchanged glances once more, each of their faces looking extremely grim.
The atmosphere became awkward again.
After being in the underworld for so long, they had never encountered such a bizarre situation!
“We need to go!”
King Rat Sam’s small eyes darted around; he was most familiar with those noble lords and was therefore the most sensitive to the unusual air surrounding them.
He cast a reluctant glance at the metallic container in Ariel’s hands and said with a sullen face:
“Quickly, let’s go. I’m afraid the target of those guards is not us at all, but rather some big shot who has set their sights on the fruits of Gu Long’s labor. All this crime is just a cover; otherwise, it wouldn’t be the guards coming, but the knights! Those heavy crossbows seem more like a show for someone else!”
Sam no longer hesitated, leading his men to retreat swiftly, engaging with the guards waiting in the darkness, and the sounds of the fight gradually faded away.
In front, the countdown continued, having already counted down from sixty to twenty-five point five, and the crossbows had yet to be triggered; the minute felt particularly long.
“We need to go too!”
Watching the Rat Clan leave, Lorenzo gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with reluctance.
“But, the fruits of Gu Long’s labor…” his confidant still hesitated.
“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Our lives are more important; the Lord’s mission can be discussed later!”
Though Lorenzo’s heart bled, he still firmly gripped his long knife, turning to lead the remaining half of his elite quickly into the darkness, breaking through from the noticeably weaker flank.
As for the Hyena Gang… the thugs had scattered and run away from the very beginning, Shulzi’s exquisite top hat left awkwardly on the ground.
Only Ariel remained, trembling in the blinding light that layered upon itself, making it almost impossible to open her eyes.
“W-why is this happening?”
Ariel blinked her bewildered big eyes, her mind filled with confusion:
“What went wrong? Why did the guards suddenly appear? I specifically chose such a remote place! Have those parasites who waste taxpayers’ money ever been this reliable?”
“Alas…”
A sigh came from her master’s side:
“Give it up, Ariel. It can only be said that your fate with the fruits of Gu Long’s labor has not yet arrived.”
“I won’t!”
Ariel screamed in anger, her hands nearly crushing the metallic container, her silver teeth clenched as she murmured to herself:
“This is something that has already come into my hands; how could I possibly hand it over again! Master, do you want me to break my perfect record of black-on-black success?”
“But this is no longer a simple case of black-on-black. The guards are clearly here for this thing. If you don’t give it up, it might be hard for you to escape.”
“Not a simple case of black-on-black…”
As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Ariel shivered.
She recalled the past, remembered that guy she had looked down upon.
【I have other ways】
【The Heart’s Blood of the Ancient Dragon Belongs to Me】
The two sentences she scoffed at echoed in her ears once more.
Ariel suddenly understood, everything became clear.
This was what that noble young master referred to as his method!
This was not some black eating black; this was the guard team finally cracking a major illegal trading case after a night of hard work, a great justice, a painful blow to the underground forces of the lower city of Belrand!
Ariel seemed to see that b*stard, draped in a banner amidst the applause of the crowd, eloquently talking about how he used courage, wit, and decisiveness to lead the guard team in shattering the terrifying conspiracy of the dark forces, ultimately returning the heart’s blood of the ancient dragon to its rightful owner!
Goddamn it, returning to its rightful owner, but in the end, didn’t it still end up in your hands?
And without spending a single penny!
Not spending a single penny!
Seeing others profit was even more painful than losing oneself!
“No—”
At the thought of this, Ariel couldn’t help but feel sorrow welling up inside her, kneeling down and pounding the ground in anguish.
It was clearly only deep autumn, yet in this pure night, it felt as if heavy snow was falling, and an ethereal, inexplicable BGM began to play.
“Why, why is this happening, why has nothing been going right for me lately, I couldn’t even pick up a bargain, not even black eating black… Damn it, Mu En Campbell!”
“Why mention him?” her master asked in confusion. “This has nothing to do with him, right?”
“I don’t know…”
With tears in her eyes, Ariel looked up at the sky in grief and anger, shouting:
“Even if it has nothing to do with him, I just inexplicably want to curse him.
—Damn it, Mu En Campbell!”