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墨書 Inktalez
Nalan pulled open the rolling door of the house, and a sharp, jarring sound of metal sliding filled the air. Xiao Qiang's eyes lit up. The Harley 528 motorcycle was exactly his type.
The Harley 528 was an improved second-generation motorcycle. He had experienced its speed and performance in the future world.
There were just enough bikes for them—one for Xiao Qiang and Chixia, and Nalan took one for himself.
It had been a long time since a woman had been so close to him, and he felt two soft, sponge-like objects rubbing against his back. This sensation was strange; the wild temptation made him lose himself in thought.
He tried hard to push away the chaotic thoughts that surfaced in his mind before starting the motorcycle. He couldn't help but recall their childhood as War Orphans, forcibly injected with isotopes to erase their memories.
Then came genetic targeting, erasing memories from the point of targeting until 2050, followed by the insertion of fragmented memories. This led to their inability to piece together those fragmented, seemingly real yet altered memories in the future.
Xiao Qiang started the motorcycle...
“Wait, I don’t want to get soaked like a drowned rat. Look at you two sticking so close together…” Nalan thought about Chixia being a Fallen One and how her delicate skin had no warmth at all, making him feel uneasy and shiver. He shouted towards the corner, “Calculator, disable the alarm.”
“Yes, alarm disabled,” replied a simulated female voice as the warning system automatically retracted its alerts for noise and smoke.
The motorcycle roared to life and burst out of the garage. It sped down the road toward Eagle City, leaving behind clouds of dust mingled with the night mist.
Earlier, Nalan had warned Xiao Qiang not to stop for anyone they saw on the road, regardless of how beautiful she might be. After all, aside from the Living Dead that had been lingering in a bloodthirsty state during their transformations, there was no way a beautiful woman would be hitchhiking on this road.
Dingbo Mountain had claimed lives because people were bewitched by drunkenness.
Sure enough, Xiao Qiang felt that amidst the rushing wind, there seemed to be ghostly wails echoing in despair. The fog was thick; he couldn't see where the sounds were coming from. Coupled with Nalan's warning, he chose to ignore those unusual circumstances.
Eagle City—a place where fish and dragons mixed. The narrow entrance was dimly lit; at a crowded intersection, humans from all directions gathered around a newly constructed platform. They were watching a Diviner on stage who spoke passionately and eloquently.
The Diviner was young and articulate. He picked up a bottle of dyed liquid and said earnestly, “This is something I bought for a hefty price from my distant cousin. Don’t be fooled by this ordinary-looking water; it’s worth its weight in gold. Archaeologists—do you know what they do?” After throwing out this bait, his gaze moved over the eager faces looking up from below.
"I see you don't understand," he continued to persuade. "Such profound knowledge is not something I can explain in detail. This is the legendary Holy Water; just a small vial can ensure your family's safety." He then pulled out a string of dark beads from a filthy burlap bag, adopting a mysterious demeanor. "These are Shari Pearls, used to ward off evil and can eliminate those wicked beings who cannot hide."
In the crowd below, temporary assistants hired by the Diviner moved among the people, persuading and rallying them. After the Diviner's speech, a thunderous applause erupted.
Amidst the applause were exaggerated whistles from some of the assistants, who revered the Diviner as a deity.
Seeing that today's speech was a success, the Diviner began preparing to make a fortune and then vanish. He took out the items from his burlap bag and displayed them prominently. Soon, an assistant approached, feigning rarity as they eagerly began selecting items.
With the assistants' help, the crowd became agitated. Fearing that these talismans from the mysterious continent would be snatched away, they rushed forward, each pulling out their savings to compete in purchasing.
The motorcycle had quietly entered Eagle City minutes ago, its engine silenced amidst the cheers of the crowd. Observing these foolish humans from behind, I had been watching for quite some time. I heard what the Diviner said.
Nalan sneered softly at Xiao Qiang. "Most of these people are Wanderers; some have brought their families along. Others are trapped here because Eagle City is too far from their home city. Along the way, they encountered Living Dead who had not fed for a long time and whose bodily functions had severely deteriorated—many of them are likely to die. Thus, they are stuck here, hoping to avoid attacks from vampires and Fallen Ones. This situation has created opportunities for some Con Artists who gather or purchase cheap trinkets in other cities and then sell them after simple processing as protective charms."
"That's so shady." Xiao Qiang clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could knock that guy down with one punch. However, after careful consideration, he felt that Nalan's account differed from what Ding Baoshan had described.
Nalan observed Xiao Qiang's growing anger and quickly advised him not to provoke anyone here for now. The people here are sensitive to strangers, and dealing with that Con Artist would be more appropriate for him.
Thus, both Xiao Qiang and Chixia kept a low profile, hiding in the shadows to watch how Nalan planned to deal with that Con Artist.
Nalan wore a cold expression as he mingled with the buyers in the crowd.
The Con Artist recognized Nalan as well; it had simply been a long time since they last met. When he felt something cold and hard pressed against his temple, he slowly turned his head toward Nalan, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Hey there, friend! Long time no see?"
Someone dared to threaten the Diviner with a gun, indicating that this person was fearless—a true devil. Those who hadn't managed to buy their protective charms fled in terror.
"Bah," Nalan spat on the ground, his expression unchanging. "Who’s your friend? Get lost right now."
The Con Artist seemed terrified of Nalan, trembling as he stood there, too flustered to grab his tattered burlap sack. In a panic, he snatched a handful of money and tried to slip away.
"Put the money down, you bastard."
The Con Artist chuckled nervously, pleading, "Sir, you have to leave me some money to escape; otherwise, how will I get back home?"
Nalan scoffed coldly. "Don't try to butter me up. Leave the money and get out of here. Otherwise..." As he spoke, he slowly hooked his finger around the trigger.
Seeing this, the Con Artist nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking at grain. "Alright, I won't take anything. Here, it's all yours. I'm leaving..."
Xiao Qiang watched from a distance as the Con Artist wobbled down from the high platform, stumbling a few steps before blending into the crowd of ordinary people, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Looking back at Nalan, he was quite a sight—holding a bulging bag of money with an air of arrogance. He didn’t even glance at the pitiful crowd staring at him and walked straight toward Xiao Qiang.
"Let’s have a good time tonight; this money is your reward," Nalan laughed heartily, tossing the bag of money to Xiao Qiang before hopping onto his motorcycle and speeding away.
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