Chapter 29 Outer City District
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"That guy…"
Chen Lun mused.
In his past life, he had never heard the name Alec; he was supposed to be just an ordinary bard. But when he called out his assumed name, Chen Lun always felt that something was off.
Peering out the window of the carriage and looking back, Alec's figure was no longer on the road.
"What's wrong?"
Floey, sensing Chen Lun's mood, spoke up.
Chen Lun sat back down and shook his head silently before adding,
"Nothing, just ran into a strange fellow."
Floey did not press further and changed the subject,
"Will we reach our destination tomorrow?"
"Yes… tomorrow we'll arrive at Amber City."
Chen Lun stopped dwelling on it, as the most urgent task at hand was to find Dolly in Amber City and acquire the "High Sequence Flesh Faction Mysterious Substance" from him to maintain the balance of the contamination in Floey.
In the process, he hoped to complete the third stage of the hidden quest and hopefully find "Philip's Legacy."
These were all things that could boost his strength.
There was anticipation in his heart, and even more so, visions of the future—
To grow stronger and establish a foothold!
To have enough power and reach a certain height before the arrival of 1.0 version beta players. Only then would Chen Lun feel truly secure.
Having lost the unique player interface, he did not know if he could still resurrect after death. Although he was an NPC, he still retained the ability to accept quests and inspect item information…
But he dared not gamble on the privilege of resurrection that only players had.
One has only one life.
…
Amber City.
This major city in the eastern part of the Tresor Empire was far more developed and bustling than the backward small town of Emerald Town, not to mention much larger in area.
According to the administrative divisions of the entire continent, one empire and three affiliated kingdoms.
Not counting other smaller self-proclaimed kingdoms, aside from Beryl Royal City, the Tresor Empire was divided into the Six States.
Each state had ten cities.
Each city was composed of a central city, seventy-two markets, and countless small towns.
Amber City was one of the more prominent cities among the seventy-two markets of Fossil City in the Gem State, known for its culture, nature, and art.
As the carriage gradually approached Amber City, the main gravel road gradually turned into neatly paved stone pathways. Along either side of the road stood square stone pillars and black iron street lamps.
Each of these street lamps, every nightfall, would be lit with kerosene by lamplighters, brightly illuminating throughout the night.
Clip-clop, clip-clop…
The carriage moved slowly.
In the distance, the tall city walls became increasingly clear, with densely packed low houses on both sides leading to the city gate.
"It's the smell of stewed beans..."
Floey lifted the curtain and sniffed with her delicate nose, murmuring softly.
She was very familiar with this scent, as it was often part of her childhood meals.
From within the carriage, Chen Lun could see numerous women with aprons and headscarves busying themselves with cooking and cleaning. They were working right at the doorsteps of their humble homes, with children playing around them and then darting into the dense houses nearby.
"Their men mostly go into the city to work during the day and come back out to their homes after work is done."
At that moment, Walsh, the driver of the carriage, spoke.
Chen Lun was well aware of this fact. Those living here were the poor who did not qualify for permanent residence inside the city.
They were also an indispensable part of keeping Amber City running.
Among the crowd preparing to enter the city, there was no shortage of carriages, but even more were pedestrians with backpacks and hawkers carrying baskets selling fresh fruits and vegetables.
Walsh presented the trade caravan's certificate along with five Copper Kros per person for the entry fee, and the Tresor Empire soldiers waved them through.
Passing through the long city gate corridor, under the dim lighting, Chen Lun could see walls plastered with notices and warrants. But most were yellowed and torn due to the wear and tear of time, and due to neglect in cleaning, they had accumulated in thick layers.
Soon, the surrounding clamor rushed into their ears.
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Entering the inner city is what truly counts as entering Amber City, where it's a completely different world from the outside.
The carriages slowly passing by with the jingling of bells, the newsboys running about, hawking cigarettes and newspapers, the vendors setting up stalls in the large squares, and the Church monks preaching loudly.
Floey seemed very excited, constantly listening to the sounds of the new world. It was only at this moment that she appeared to be a girl her age should be.
"Master Jack, we've arrived at our destination."
Walsh prompted.
The carriage soon stopped in front of a three-story building, the location of the Silver Dragon Trade Association in Amber City. However, this was not the Inner City District. Although there is another branch in the Inner City District, Chen Lun asked to stop here.
It wasn't that he didn't want to move around in the Inner City District, but that area belonged to the wealthy elite and was very strictly secured.
With Chen Lun's current unregistered identity, plus having to take care of Floey, moving around there would be difficult.
Therefore, he planned to settle down in the Outer City District for the time being and make some plans.
"Thanks, Uncle Walsh."
Chen Lun got off the carriage first, then turned to extend his hand, but suddenly remembered Floey wasn't actually blind.
Just as he was about to retract his hand, Floey's small hand reached out first.
Chen Lun was momentarily startled.
Floey gave him a sweet smile.
"Master Jack, you truly are an admirable big brother."
Walsh took off his hat and extended his large hand.
"The commission entrusted to our Silver Dragon Trade Association has been successfully completed. It was a pleasure doing business, and I hope we can relieve your worries again in the future."
"It was a pleasure."
Chen Lun extended his other hand and shook his.
Walsh suddenly felt a chill in his palm.
Looking down, he found two glittering gold pounds.
"Master Jack, this..."
"Consider it a tip for all of you. One of the escorts even got injured for me and my sister, and I feel very remorseful...
Well then, farewell, Uncle Walsh."
Walsh looked up to see the young man already walking away with Miss Floey.
He couldn't help but feel that Master Jack was a truly generous gentleman.
I didn't even ask for more money.
...
The two walked a long way along the street.
Chen Lun originally wanted to let go of Floey's hand but didn't succeed.
Floey's small hand clung tightly, and she whispered in a low voice:
"Isn't it very conspicuous for a blind girl to walk without someone leading her?"
"Uh...? That seems to be true."
So Chen Lun stopped worrying about that and started to survey the surrounding area to see where would be suitable to settle down.
Soon he saw a sign for renting lodging at the entrance of a flower shop.
Chen Lun, leading Floey, stopped in front of the notice, noticing that a metal plate was mounted on the wall.
Denton Street number seven.
After looking at the rental sign for a while, his gaze moved through the glass window of the flower shop next door to a woman inside.
The elderly woman, with her hair turning gray, was meticulously tending to the flowers in the shop, past many colorful fresh blossoms.
Knock knock...
Someone tapped on the glass twice.
The lady turned her head, revealing a kind-looking face. Despite the wrinkles, one could still see traces of her former beauty.
When she saw the young man leading the blind girl, she smiled and waved her hand while mouthing the words:
"Come in, children, come in."
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