Chapter 85: Important Figure

Sand City under the night sky was exceptionally lively.

As soon as night fell, crystal lamps lit up one by one on the wide streets; they were bright but not glaring. Millions of crystal lamps combined illuminated half the sky.

Hu Feng went with the flow, slowly wandering around the majestic Sand City with the crowd, looking with interest at the various buildings. He had to admit that whether it was Lich Castle or Blackwater City, they were far inferior to this castle in terms of internal affairs. Here, the daily entry fees alone were a huge income, and the taxes from various industries added up to an even more incredible amount.

Lich Castle and Blackwater City were located in remote areas with few people, easy to defend and hard to attack. This was an innate advantage of the two castles, but also their greatest disadvantage. To a certain extent, they were just two huge military fortresses and could not be considered real castles. Next, after establishing a firm foothold, it was time to consider large-scale immigration from the Wasteland.

“Lord, please come in. We have the most delicious desert grape wine here, the taste is absolutely mellow!” When passing a tavern, a waiter enthusiastically tried to pull him in. Seeing that it was still early, Hu Feng did not refuse and walked in under his guidance.

Inside the small tavern, over twenty tables were neatly arranged, and most of them were already full of people. Most people looked travel-worn, with grains of yellow sand stuffed in the gaps of their clothes and armor; they looked like Demon Hunters and merchants coming from afar, and no one paid much attention to him, a down-and-out Bard.

“Brother, just came back from outside?”

Smelling the tempting aroma of the wine, a bearded man leaned over to Hu Feng. He was smiling and holding a large goblet, but his eyes were staring at the pot of grape wine in front of Hu Feng. His leather armor was tattered and old, so blackened that its color was unrecognizable, and his face was weathered. His legs were of unequal length, and he walked with a limp; it seemed he had suffered a severe injury in the past.

In small taverns, down-and-out Demon Hunters mooching drinks were common. Hu Feng smiled faintly and poured him a cup of wine. “I didn’t just come back from outside; I just happened to pass by here.”

“Tsk, tsk, Sand City’s desert grape wine is truly delicious!” The bearded man sat down beside Hu Feng unceremoniously, downed the drink in one gulp, let out a burp, and then leaned in close to Hu Feng’s ear, speaking secretively: “Brother, they say you Bards have the best information. Do you know what big event happened in Sand City today?”

“Oh, what event?” Hu Feng understood the bearded man’s intention and poured him another cup of wine.

“A huge event!”

The bearded man paused, then continued: “I have a brother who works as a personal guard at the City Lord’s Mansion. I heard him say that a big shot came to Sand City today, an incredibly important figure!”

“Important figure?” Hu Feng looked with interest at the mysterious bearded man and took a sip of the mellow grape wine. “Tell me, how important is he? Just how big of a shot is he?”

“Well…” The bearded man suddenly stammered, his face turning red.

“Thank you very much for the wine. If there’s a chance, let’s go see just how big this important figure is.”

Looking at the embarrassed bearded man, Hu Feng gave a wicked smile. Before his voice had even faded, his figure suddenly disappeared without warning. The bearded man felt a blur before his eyes; when he looked up, Hu Feng was already gone.

“This…”

The drunken bearded man was shocked. After rubbing his eyes, he confirmed that Hu Feng, who had been right in front of him moments ago, had suddenly vanished. His mind instantly sobered up. Looking at the empty wine pot on the table, he had a bitter taste in his mouth but couldn’t say a word. Heaven knows, he only wanted to mooch a couple of drinks; he didn’t expect to become the one paying the bill in the blink of an eye. Seeing a waiter walk over, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“Lord, your friend paid more than enough for the wine, so we can offer a free plate of roast beef. Please enjoy!” The waiter politely brought out a large plate of fragrant beef.

“Huh… the money has already been paid?”

The bearded man realized he had been scared for nothing and secretly guessed Hu Feng’s true identity. No matter how slow his brain was, he understood that he had met a hidden Stronger tonight. To be able to disappear suddenly and soundlessly right in front of him, his strength was definitely not simple!

Sand City under the night sky was like a city that never slept, bustling with activity. At the same time, the City Lord’s Mansion was also brightly lit.

Outside the council hall, security was tight. Aside from a few trusted aides close to the City Lord, no one else was allowed to approach. Standing outside the door was a team of cold Knights, their legs straight and their gaze fixed ahead, exuding an invisible, oppressive might. The guards of the City Lord’s Mansion were usually imposing enough, but in front of this group of Knights, they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.

The City Lord’s Mansion was heavily guarded, but to Hu Feng, this defense was no different from a sheet of paper; he slipped in silently and without a trace.

Inside the council hall, the heavily armored City Lord of Sand City sat imposingly on a large tiger-skin chair. He had a square face and a hooked nose; he was burly and majestic, appearing authoritative even when not angry. Several trusted aides stood below him. On the guest seats nearby sat a group of imposing guests, and the leader was surprisingly the Brocade-Robed Old Man seen in the carriage.

“Up to now, more than two hundred castles have joined the Bourbon Alliance. After the news spreads, even more castles will join. Lord Weinberg, you have controlled Sand City for nearly ten thousand years and have always been good at strategy. I believe I don’t need to say much for you to understand the benefits of joining the alliance. Over the years, your Saint Fran Family’s Sand City has remained powerful, but its development speed is much slower than some new cities. Joining the alliance is an opportunity for you!”

The Brocade-Robed Old Man’s voice was not loud, but it could be heard clearly in every corner of the council hall. He spoke methodically, and his tone revealed powerful confidence.

Millions of years ago, almost the entire continent was under the control of the Bourbon Dynasty. Although its history was short, it still left a glorious mark in the history of the Human Race. That was the only time since the disappearance of the Human Race’s Racial Divine Realm and the Ancient God Clan that the Human Race could stand on equal footing with races like Angels, Titans, and Demons. After splitting into countless castles, the Bourbon Dynasty had long become history, but the Morgan Family, the former royal family, had survived low-profile on the Sunset Wasteland. After millions of years of effort, they had secretly accumulated immense power and made full preparations to restore the glory of the Bourbon Dynasty.

“Elder Thrace, what if I say no and am not interested in your alliance? Then what?” The heavily armored City Lord of Sand City, Weinberg, gave a cold smile.

As a City Lord with great foresight, how could he not understand the Morgan Family’s scheme?

Once you get on a pirate ship, it’s not so easy to get off. Times had changed; let alone the Sunset Wasteland, the situation in the entire Plane was completely different from the past. Although the Morgan Family was powerful, restoring the glory of the Bourbon Dynasty was easier said than done. Joining an alliance led by them sounded nice—like being allies—but in reality, they were just cannon fodder.

“Nothing much. It’s just that the Wasteland is so chaotic. Every day new castles rise, and castles that don’t know how to adapt to the changing times are breached and turned into ruins. Refusing to join the Bourbon Dynasty just means you won’t get our protection! I think it won’t be long before there are only two kinds of castles left on the Wasteland: those belonging to our Bourbon Alliance, and those that don’t know how to adapt to the changing times!”

The Brocade-Robed Old Man seemed polite on the surface, but the threat in his words was fully revealed.

Hearing this, the City Lord of Sand City, Weinberg, turned livid. He stared coldly at the Brocade-Robed Old Man and his group, and raised his wine glass without leaving a trace. But after weighing it for a moment, he took a sip and slowly put it down. Sand City was powerful, but compared to the Morgan Family, it was far inferior. Killing the Brocade-Robed Old Man and his group would leave no room for retreat, so he had to act with caution.

Seeing the change in his expression, the Brocade-Robed Old Man, who was good at reading people, became even more confident, and his aura became even more imposing. Before coming from afar, he had successfully threatened thirteen castles into joining the alliance. Although Weinberg was a man of great foresight, he had to bow his head in the face of the Morgan Family’s massive power.

“Tsk, tsk, what big talk. An important figure is indeed an important figure, truly extraordinary!”

Just as the Brocade-Robed Old Man was pressing hard and preparing to strike while the iron was hot, a large hole was suddenly blasted open with a ‘boom’ in the nearby wall. A young man with the build of a bear and the back of a tiger walked in coldly. The fluctuation of Magic Power in his body was mediocre, appearing to have at most the strength of a low-rank Great Magician, but every muscle and every hair rippled with a violent power, giving off an unprecedented sense of danger.