"All of them … are from the Brotherhood?"
They turned a corner, and Cohen looked at both sides of the street in confusion.
"Everywhere on the street?"
Morris smiled without saying a word.
"Of course not."
Thales quickened his pace and walked to their side. He said coldly,
"If it had come to that, the Brotherhood would have been destroyed a long time ago."
At that moment, Thales and Morris' eyes met in the air. The former was cold, and the latter was laughing. They began a game that only they knew.
But Thales' tone immediately changed.
"But there is no doubt that when we appeared in these people's sight, we were already targeted by the Brotherhood."
Cohen frowned. Glover subconsciously placed his hand on his weapon and vigilantly observed every passerby on the street.
"Exactly." Morris laughed heartily.
"From the moment you stepped on the first brick in Lower City District, the craftsmen's shops, peddlers, beggars, merchants, and passersby along the way have already seen you clearly."
Cohen raised his head and spat.
"Bah, who doesn't know that all the shops on this street have to pay protection fees to the Brotherhood? They are all under your threat …"
But this time, it was Thales who interrupted him.
"But what he said wasn't wrong." The prince looked outside a shop. There were a few temporary workers who were sweating profusely as they unloaded goods. "These people are indeed members of the Brotherhood."
Cohen was puzzled.
One moment, it was not the Brotherhood, the next moment, it was the Brotherhood …
'Is it the Brotherhood or not?'
Morris seemed to be deep in thought.
"Oh, Your Highness, do you know?"
"I don't know." Thales' expression did not change.
"I only know that you want to use this opportunity to show off your muscles to me and show the Brotherhood's foundation."
Morris, whose thoughts were exposed, turned around in embarrassment.
"Mister Police Officer, and this person … Both of you have extraordinary backgrounds. You must know and have seen the Blood Bottle Gang."
Morris adjusted his emotions and chuckled with contempt and disdain.
"They have been around for a hundred years. They are a 'gang aristocrat' with a long history and a complicated background. The chain of interests behind them is deep and solid. Most of their members are scum who walk in the gray area."
Glover's gaze fell on him.
"But …" Morris changed the topic and said meaningfully,
"Although in your eyes, they are doing the same 'business', as their mortal enemies, the Brotherhood, are completely different."
At that moment, Thales saw a shop in front of him. He could not help but narrow his eyes and slow down.
"Different?" Cohen shook his head in disdain.
"You're saying that even though we're all scum, they're scum of the old, while you're scum of the lowly?"
Layork snorted coldly behind him.
"This is your bar?"
Everyone turned around.
Thales stood rooted to the spot and stared at a tavern across the street. In the shop, which was completely deserted, a fierce-looking man was sprawled behind the bar counter in annoyance, stabbing the counter with a knife from time to time.
Kohen and Glover raised their heads and looked at the rusty old iron signboard at the top of the tavern.
[Sunset bless you.]
It looked like it was taken from a rural church in the Sunset Temple.
Thales stared at the familiar tables and chairs in front of him. He recalled the countless times he walked through the shop.
"That bartender, he looks very fierce."
Morris whistled from afar. The fierce-looking bartender saw them and immediately pulled out his knife in surprise. He looked like he wanted to fight, but Morris immediately gestured for him to calm down.
Layork walked into the bar and patted the fierce-looking bartender's shoulder. He started talking to him, and finally, when the bartender looked disappointed, he calmed him down.
"That's Sunset Bar.
"Kroenski took over only a few months ago — his predecessor got his head split open, in a bar fight."
Morris looked at Kerenski's unapproachable face, then sized up the deserted scene in Sunset Bar. He sighed.
"You can probably tell that he is not good at this job."
Thales nodded slightly. There was a melancholy in his words that only he could understand.
"Being a bartender here is probably not easy."
'Things remain the same, but people have changed.
The old man behind the bar counter is no longer around. '
Thales shook his head and turned to leave.
"This bar used to be owned by an old friend." Morris followed the prince's footsteps and clicked his tongue helplessly.
"I have to say, after they moved away, there are not many people in the Brotherhood who know how to run a bar and manage the place."
"Your old friend must be very powerful," Thales said sincerely.
When he heard this, Morris hummed in agreement with complicated feelings.
"At least when they were still around, no one dared to fight here."
"Yes, who doesn't know that this is the Brotherhood's own 'Green Zone'?" Kohen snorted angrily, his anger still lingering.
"There are still people who dare to fight here?"
Morris glanced at him.
"Mister Police Officer, since you said that this is your jurisdiction, do you really understand this place?"
Kohen was about to speak, but Morris raised his finger and interrupted him.
"Or do you only care about catching thieves and punishing peddlers, keeping an eye on illegal crimes, but you have never gone deep into their communities, their families, and their daily lives to see what kind of life they lead when they are not on the streets?"
Kohen paused.
But he quickly replied in an unconvinced manner, "I know.
Lower City District is a gathering place for immigrants and the poor. This place is very poor … "
"Poor?"
Morris suddenly raised his voice, looking as if he was amused. "Poverty!"
The fat man's gaze suddenly changed.
"But, what is poverty in your eyes, Mister Police Officer?
"Is it the imagination of the nobles who can't eat meat for every meal, and don't have new clothes during the holidays? Or is it the kind of 'poverty' that is described in stories, where the rich and powerful like to find them to donate to charity because they are going to starve to death tomorrow? It seems tragic but is not realistic at all? "
Kohen's eyebrows twitched as he pondered the words of the leader of the Brotherhood.
"No, Cop," Morris said bluntly, even forgetting to use street slang in front of the prince.
"True poverty lies somewhere in between. It is not so rigid and old-fashioned, and it is not so tragic."
Thales had a thought.
"In fact, true poverty is numbness, tolerance, muddling through life without a future. It is poverty that does not lead to death, but it is difficult to live. It is a strange predicament where there is no need to commit suicide even though it is painful."
Morris' words were filled with emotion.
"This kind of poverty is the real plague that can drive people crazy. It is highly toxic, contagious, and will continue to spread. However, the poison does not kill. It seems mild."
Kohen thought hard, but in the end, it was to no avail.
"I don't understand."
Morris sneered.
"Alright, you are of noble birth, and you are a police officer. You live a luxurious life and do things conveniently. It may be hard to imagine …
"But some poor people work for a day and get paid according to their work, and they get twenty copper coins."
His tone changed.
"But half a day after work, they have to use up all of them in order to fill their stomachs and feed their families. They don't have any left, or they only have one or two left …
"So, the next day, they can only work hard for the other twenty copper coins that are destined to be spent again."
Glover and Kohen frowned at the same time.
"Yes, they won't starve to death." Morris' face was dark as he walked down a shabby, low flight of stairs.
"But they have to repeat it forever to ensure that they 'won't starve to death'.
"For example, the poor coachman who lost money in gambling just now.
"Why do you think he wanted to borrow money to gamble? Do you think he will be fine just because you prevented him from falling into the scam of borrowing money? "
Kohen's gaze changed, and he suddenly raised his head.
"Poverty is not a sharp blade that cuts off one's head, police officer.
"Instead, it is a rope that slowly tightens, and a millstone that rolls patiently."
When Thales heard this, he sighed quietly.
At this moment, Morris was unhurried, like a teacher who was telling a philosophical story to his students.
"It gives you a little hope to live, but does not let you enjoy the joy of living, so that it can continue to exploit your life.
"It forces you to the edge of death, but just happens to not die, so that you can squeeze out everything from the numbness you feel day after day."
Morris took a deep breath, as if he wanted to taste the sweetness of the air.
"It is called survival — a long death."
Morris clasped his hands behind his back. Without realizing it, he walked to the front of the group. He looked at the stinking leather workshop in the distance, and the workers working hard inside.
"In the towns and in the countryside, there are always the darkest and lowest class of people who struggle to make ends meet, but are often ignored by the kingdom: foreigners who enter the city to seek work, farmers who lose their land, merchants who go bankrupt and are in debt, handicapped people who lose their labor, craftsmen who are eliminated by the market, poor people who have nothing to live for, beggars without dignity, old people without descendants, widows who have lost their pillar of support, lousy men who only know how to swing their fists after they retire from the army, lowly workers who have no choice but to sacrifice their bottom line and sell their dignity, but are still discriminated against and bullied …
"They are all poor hosts, and they are everywhere in the kingdom. There are far more of them than you can imagine. The lower city district is just the tip of the iceberg, and it is the better kind."
Kohen tried to loosen his clenched fists a little.
"I know, but this cannot be …"
But Morris ignored him.
"They are often unable to speak, or even if they speak, no one will pay attention to them. They are not even seen, even by a conscientious and kind-hearted police officer like you."
"In the peaceful and prosperous official announcements, in the passionate and magnificent historical narratives, in the eyes of most happy people who do not have to worry about food and clothing, they do not even exist. Or perhaps, the meaning of their existence is to prove the sympathy and morality of others, and to bring the latter correct, hypocritical, and cheap self-satisfaction."
Morris' tone became incomparably cold.
"They are excluded from the discourse, and it is difficult for them to understand, and they do not have the spare energy to feel what it means to pursue and desire, ideals and ambitions, dignity and responsibility. These are things that can only be seen in bardic poems and stage plays …"
His expression suddenly became ferocious.
"Under such circumstances, if they do not seek and change, people will slowly deteriorate, and they will become objects or beasts.
"In the face of a difficult life, a harsh environment, a hopeless future, unfair reality, domineering public power, and the most urgent need to survive, they must find a way, they must have something to rely on, and they must grasp at the last straw …"
Morris' gaze drifted to the sky, passed through the thick clouds, and landed on the ground again, on the messy underground street.
"So, one day, a certain opportunity, a certain moment, a certain accident, they are forced to come together. They help each other, overcome difficulties together, and seek recognition and value.
"Perhaps it is just neighbors looking out for each other, perhaps it is a gathering of pitiful people in the same industry, perhaps it is a gathering of gangsters from poor backgrounds to boost their courage. Even if sometimes, these actions are not that legal."
Thales quietly watched the dozen or so ruffians who were fighting in a street corner.
But this time, Cohen only stared at them in a daze. He no longer had the intention to step forward and intervene.
"And the original purpose of them huddling together for warmth was to live a less painful life.
"The crime that you hate, or rather, the behavior that goes against the mainstream law, is just an inevitable but secondary by-product."
Morris also watched the brawl in the street corner. He shook his head at Layork, who was questioning him with his gaze.
"So, we appeared, Black Street Brotherhood, as a former member of countless gangs at the bottom of the hierarchy."
At that moment, his gaze was distant and profound.
"I don't know when or how, but from the moment we appeared, we were deeply rooted in the community of the people at the bottom of the hierarchy. We were born from chaos, and we rely on chaos."
At that moment, a stone suddenly flew up and hit the forehead of a leader of the gangsters, causing him to bleed profusely and fall limply to the ground.
The gangsters who were fighting were startled and subconsciously stopped.
Everyone turned their heads around. Thales stood up and dusted off his dusty hands.
"All of you were indeed born from chaos," Thales said coldly.
"But you also feed chaos."
The gangsters reacted and rushed over while clamoring.
Morris sighed and waved his hand. Layork walked forward with a gloomy expression.
"In fact, Your Highness, in Black Street, the underground street, and the three districts of the lower city, most of the poor do not directly participate in our 'gray' activities," Morris said with a shrug.
Thales smiled.
"You mean crime."
Morris nodded.
"But they have never been stingy with providing convenience and tacit understanding to the Brotherhood. For example, in addition to their main business, they provide information, stand guard, occasionally run errands, provide logistics, and even rely on the economic prosperity brought about by our 'big business' to supplement their household expenses.
"Their lives are intertwined with our activities."
On the other side, Layork was finally recognized by the gangsters after he took down the third person. The latter did not even dare to turn their heads back as they scattered in panic.
Kohen stood where he was in silence as he watched the gangsters disappear into the streets.
"Over time, habits became second nature, and repetition became the rule. Black Street Brotherhood is no longer just a mutual aid organization, and no longer just a violent gang."
Morris clicked his tongue and spread his arms, as though he wanted to embrace the dilapidated street in front of him.
"Instead, we became the backbone deeply rooted in these communities, the backbone of the people at the bottom of the hierarchy, and an important driving force to maintain the ecological operation of the communities at the bottom of the hierarchy."
He glanced at Kohen, intentionally or unintentionally.
"This is much more effective and practical than the police station, which is not seen once every ten days or half a month, the patrol team, which has to suck the marrow out of their bones when they come, the inefficient and lazy low-level officials, the 'relevant departments' that only appear for city inspections and political achievements, the king's warrant that only exists on the bulletin board and receives the same treatment as a small advertisement for syphilis treatment, and the charitable citizens who are passionate and talk about morality but have never set foot in this place, who are filled with sympathy but are far away and only know how to move themselves.
"They have evolved their own rules and the ecology at the bottom of the hierarchy.
"'A copper coin is louder than the king, and a wine glass is heavier than a long official'." Morris looked at Thales and sighed.
"No offense, but this is an old saying often said by the scumbags in Blade Fangs Camp."
Thales did not answer.
But Kohen slowly raised his head. His gaze was dazed.
Glover had no choice but to pull him to prevent the police officer from losing focus and missing his footing.
"I fought in the war in Western Desert." Zombie looked at Kohen's dazed expression and snorted indignantly.
"I have never heard of such a bullsh * t 'old saying'."
Morris was not bothered. He waved his hand and chuckled.
"Then, either you are still young …
"Or you have too much earwax …"
His laughter stopped, and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.
"You have blocked your ears."
Glover was speechless for a moment.
"So, yes, most of the people here may be poor, cunning, and disgusting, but most of them have never followed the Brotherhood to collect debts, to steal goods, to steal, to fight, to kill, or to commit crimes."
"But they have more or less provided convenience for the Brotherhood, and more or less benefited from the existence of the Brotherhood, even though these 'benefits' make you hate them to the core."
Morris sneered.
"These people from the Brotherhood may not be directly employed by our core six Powerhouses, nor are they the purest and most formal members of the gang. They may not even have done any 'business' that is even remotely related to the Brotherhood. But most of the time, there is no need to differentiate between themselves and outsiders.
"Because we have always been them, and they are naturally close to us.
"We can transform into them at any time, and they can transform into us at any time."
In that second, Morris gritted his teeth and stood on the street that belonged to him. He clenched his fists lightly.
"They are not the Brotherhood, but they are better than the Brotherhood.
Tell me, Mister Police Officer, how are we going to 'disappear'?
"Are you going to send everyone in this street, from the young laborers to the old, weak, sick, and disabled, to the Brotherhood's accomplices to prison?"
Kohen's body trembled as if he had been hit by a heavy blow.
Morris turned his gaze to Thales, who was deep in thought, and smiled.
"This is the root, soil, and essence of the Black Street Brotherhood, Your Highness."
"Black silk." Morris' eyes shone brightly.
"We are all brothers."
Layork smiled. Intentionally or unintentionally, he crossed his arms so that the black ribbon on his left arm fluttered in the wind.
'We are all brothers with black silk.'
This was not the first time Thales had heard this common saying in the Brotherhood, but his eyebrows furrowed.
"Hmph," Glover retorted in disdain.
"All of you are just a motley crew. Worthless.
"Even the most undisciplined of the feudal lord's conscripted soldiers can beat you to the point of scurrying away."
Morris sized up Glover, who stood tall and straight. It was obvious that he came from a military background.
"Yes. Perhaps many people think that the Brotherhood is just a motley crew with a mix of good and bad. Compared to the kingdom's army and violence, they are all weaklings. They are not a match for the Brotherhood at all and can be destroyed at any time because of a word from a nobleman."
Morris' gaze changed. He looked at the scene in the underground street and revealed a fierce expression.
"But don't forget …
"Unlike the large-scale government officials and the army, we, including the people at the bottom of society who are inseparable from us, are timid and weak. We are filled with the wisdom of the streets and the cunning of the people at the bottom of society. We are inconspicuous and slippery. We will avoid direct confrontation at any time and break up into smaller groups.
"Even the police department and the patrol teams that are familiar with the local area often feel overwhelmed and powerless when faced with us. It is needless to mention the troops that have been prepared for the enormous battlefield. They are like broad, thick brooms. There are bound to be corners that cannot be swept."
"This is the true source of the Brotherhood's confidence.
"This is also the reason why we are born in the void. We are weak, isolated, and undisciplined. But when we face giants like Blood Bottle Gang and even the kingdom's officials, we are always powerless to resist. We are destroyed, but we can always rise from the ashes and make a comeback.
"Mister Police Officer, and this … big brother who has fought in the war, do you understand?"
At that moment, Kohen looked hesitant. Glover was still not convinced.
But neither of them could say anything.
As for Thales, he just walked quietly and calmly on the street, one step at a time.
The teenager sighed and suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, do you know Arracca Murkh?"
"Do you know Arracca Murkh?"
Morris frowned.
"The Kingdom's Wrath is famous, Your Highness." The plump man shook his head.
"But even as powerful as he is, he can't do what we can for you."
'These words sound familiar …'
Thales smiled.
'Right.
Stake from Shadow Shield. He seemed to have said something similar? '
"I remember." The person who answered was Glover. His eyes were full of admiration.
"In the Battle of the Altar, Baron Murkh was the vanguard. His Fury Guards clashed directly with the elite orcs from the three major tribes. He was brave and fearless, but he succeeded in breaking the formation. He opened up a path for the Legendary Wing's cavaliers and His Majesty's main army to deliver the decisive blow.
"He also shocked all the friendly forces present, whether they were mercenaries, conscripts, or the regular soldiers of the royal family.
"He also established the final victory of the Desert War."
Morris and Layork's expressions tensed.
Thales' thoughts drifted away. He returned to Broken Dragon Fortress six years ago, and he could not help but sigh.
"Arracca Murkh was not a human," Kohen said faintly.
"He was a broken soul that lacked a corner and was no longer complete."
When he saw the others looking at him, Kohen snapped out of his daze.
He shook his head and said, "Not me, my old man said it."
Thales nodded. He remembered how the Kingdom's Wrath carried him on his back and charged forward in the Black Sand Army's formation six years ago.
But he did not want to talk about his bravery.
"Murkh told me that he was not the Kingdom's Wrath," Thales said with a sigh.
"The guards beside him are."
All of them. "
The others were instantly stunned.
Thales turned his head around. "Similarly, the unkillable and mysterious Black Sword might be the leader and spiritual symbol of the Brotherhood."
Morris' expression changed.
"But he was not the Brotherhood itself."
Thales gestured at the view of the underground street with his chin and said with certainty,
"These people, as well as the lives, backgrounds, and experiences they represent, when all of these are added together, they form the true Black Street Brotherhood.
"And the Brotherhood is the symbol of their resistance amidst their numbness and poverty."
Thales nodded and said with a sigh,
"It is also the weapon of the weak."
Morris was a little surprised, but he quickly adjusted himself and chuckled.
"Your Highness, you are a wise man!
So, Mister Police Officer, in this city, you and the police station you represent, and even the kingdom itself … "
Morris spoke to Kohen, but he stared at the prince, as if waiting for his response.
"What you are fighting against is not gangs, not crime, not even evil," the fat man said with a sneer.
"It is poverty, injustice, indifference, despair. It is a group of people's self-satisfaction and complacency that leads to another group of people's inadequacy and dissatisfaction. It is the shadow that is cast by the overabundance of light."
"You represent the power of this country, stand in the position of the strong, and face the resistance of the weak."
Kohen raised his head and stared at him blankly.
"You mean, when I enforce the law in Lower City District, I fight against … the weak?"
"Don't be bewitched by him," the teenager's words rang out, pulling Kohen back from his trance.
Thales' words were steady and powerful.
"That's right, the Black Street Brotherhood might be a weapon that the weak at the bottom inadvertently picked up.
"But on the contrary, Kohen, what you are fighting against is not the weak."
Due to his past trust in the prince, Kohen's eyes lit up as if he had caught a straw when he was drowning. He looked at Thales hopefully.
But Thales' words were heavier than Morris'.
"It is something deeper, deeper, and more terrifying."
Once he said this, even Morris frowned.
Thales took a deep breath.
"What you have to fight against is the side of the strong that you were born from. It is the unfair oppression they have been inflicting on the weak for a long time."
Kohen was stunned.
Even Glover began to think deeply.
"The crimes you punish on the streets every day, the chaos and disorder you experience, the darkness and pain you witness are just one of the consequences of this oppression and injustice, whether we want it or not.
"You drew your sword," Thales said softly.
"To fight against the wounds it cuts.
"In this world, there is no resistance that is more unbearable and more precious than this."
Kohen stared at Thales in a daze. His thoughts were in a mess.
"Yes." A thought appeared in Morris' eyes.
"Your Highness is better at talking than I am.
But, to borrow a phrase from the Tower of Eradication. "
Morris revealed a cunning look.
"How are you going to use your strength to fight against power?
You can only embrace power. "
Everyone was silent for a while. Even Thales frowned and said nothing.
"I … don't understand."
After going through painful thoughts, Kohen clenched his teeth and shook his head.
"There are no such words in the Tower of Eradication."
Morris snorted softly.
"Yes," the plump man's words were drawn out, and there was a deeper meaning behind them.
"There are no such words in the Tower."
At this moment, Thales suddenly asked.
"Who are you, Morris?"
The plump man from the Brotherhood paused for a moment before he smiled from ear to ear.
"You are a forgetful person, Your Highness. I am Morris, a small-time ruffian in the Brotherhood."
Thales snorted coldly.
"No, I am asking." The prince's eyes were like lightning as he stared at Morris coldly.
"Who are you?"
Morris' smile froze for a moment.
"A small-time ruffian would never say something like this."
"You have already shown off your muscles," Thales said in a deep voice.
"Why not show your true self?"
At this moment, Morris' smile disappeared completely.
Thales' expression did not change. He only stared at him deeply.
Sensing that the atmosphere was not right, Glover and Layork subconsciously placed their hands on their weapons and exchanged hostile glances.
But Morris only paused for a moment before he chuckled softly.
He sighed and raised his head to look at the sky.
"Morris Ishka."
The plump man's tone was full of sarcasm and hatred.
'Ishka?'
Thales frowned. He had never heard of this surname during the prince's lessons.
"I remember you saying that you did not have a surname."
Morris lowered his head, nodded, and shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
"Not anymore."
"I am from Dragon-Kissed Land, born in Changyin City." Morris' gaze was unfocused.
"Starting from my great-grandfather, my family has been the private financial officer of the Archduke of Changyin City for generations."
'From Dragon-Kissed Land, born in Changyin City.'
Thales' expression changed.
"I see."
"You are from Anlenzo Dukedom, and your background is not considered low."
'And …
'He is indeed in charge of the accounts.'
But Thales immediately asked.
"Then how did you end up in —"
Before he could finish his question, Morris interrupted him and answered very straightforwardly.
"A few decades ago, Anlenzo Dukedom had a 'Land Annexation Rebellion'."
Morris smiled sheepishly.
"That was a political game played by the upper-class. In short, it was a mess."
"In the end, the incompetent Archduke Xide pushed our family out as a scapegoat to appease the anger of his feudal vassals."
Thales sensed Morris' emotions and did not continue to speak.
Glover and Cohen looked at each other. Even Layork seemed a little surprised.
Morris sighed.
"You know, when the rope was around my neck, I was still a child."
He touched his almost shapeless fat neck.
"At that time, my mother was hanging to my left. I still remember that her rope swayed for a long time …"
Thales frowned.
"And outside the scaffold, the prison warden was expressionless, like a stone statue. The people watching the execution were extremely fanatical, like an endless tide."
"I was still young at that time. When I was hanged, I only thought …" Morris stared at the street absentmindedly.
"It was so unbearable.
"Sunset and Bright Moon bless me. If only I could take a breath of fresh air."
He said faintly,
"One breath, just one breath, so that I won't feel so much pain, so that I won't want to die so much …"
The atmosphere was gloomy. No one said a word.
Only Morris' voice rose. He spoke of the past.
"For that breath of air, I am willing to give up anything."
Morris' eyes were blank.
"I am willing to do anything."
The silence lasted for a while. Morris woke up from his memories.
"So, when I woke up in a pile of corpses that was like a small hill, I understood one thing."
The leader of the Brotherhood took a deep breath. He cherished the freedom of breathing.
"This world is not fair, Your Highness."
Morris' hand moved away from his neck. He revealed a fierce expression that was unique to leaders.
"Even the air that we breathe.
"We have to fight for it with our lives.
"From the mouths of those … who can breathe freely."
Thales did not speak.
"I have other matters to attend to, Your Highness." Morris' mood obviously changed. He turned his head. "Forgive me for taking my leave. Layork will treat you well for the rest of your sightseeing trip."
Once he said that, while everyone was still in shock, the plump man turned into another street corner without turning his head and disappeared before their eyes.
Thales and the others were left behind. They stood where they were silently.
"So, that's my boss."
Layork snapped out of his daze from Morris' background. He regained his gloomy expression that was not to be trifled with.
"Where do you want to go next?"
Glover and Kohen looked at each other.
"In fact," Thales snorted coldly as he stared at the spot where Morris' back disappeared.
"I was almost robbed of my wallet by a little girl who begged, and I was almost blackmailed … I am very unhappy now."
Layork was stunned.
Glover and Kohen were equally stunned.
Thales turned his head and said solemnly,
"So, in Lower City District, where do these little beggars stay the most?"
On the other side of the street.
Morris, who looked unhappy, turned a corner hurriedly and met up with another person in a cloak.
If Thales was here, he might have recognized that it was the subordinate of the Brotherhood who whispered into Morris' ear when he met him.
"Lance." Morris was not interested in talking much. He directly called out the person's name.
"How is it?"
The person in the cloak — the Brotherhood's Chief of Intelligence, the Sleepless Eye Lance Corpion lowered his hood. Fatigue and haggard were written all over his face.
"Prince Thales was assassinated at the banquet last night," Lance said faintly.
"There are many rumors in the streets, but because the assassin is from Western Desert, the target of the rumors is the vassals of Western Desert, saying that they have ulterior motives."
Morris frowned.
"Really?"
Lance snorted coldly, "Anyway, that's what the Secret Intelligence Department said."
"What else?"
"Mindis Hall, which is also the prince's mansion, has just been sealed by the Royal Guards and the City Hall. They said that they want to find clues about the assassin."
"So, he is not in cahoots with your boss?"
"It's the former boss! I am not sure. But I know that an old friend has returned to the Secret Intelligence Department. He used to be the person in charge of the Western Desert branch. Something big might happen in Western Desert. "
Morris did not speak. He was deep in thought.
Finally, it was Lance who broke the silence.
"Compared to the previous one, how is this Jadestar?"
"I don't know." Morris shook his head. There was a barely noticeable confusion on his face.
"It's a little similar, but not the same. It depends on Black Sword's attitude."
Lance was not satisfied.
"You talked to him for half a day, and this is the conclusion you came to?
"Hey, why don't you go talk to him yourself?"
Morris retorted in dissatisfaction.
"Do you know that the brat is very slippery and crafty like a ghost? Every word he says is hidden, and he has sinister intentions?
"That's why I want you to go." Lance did not feel guilty at all.
"You yourself are this kind of person. You are very familiar with it."
Morris was momentarily speechless.
But his expression soon changed slightly.
"I remember that a few years ago, you asked me for someone, right?"
Lance narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
"Six years ago." Morris scratched his chin seriously. "On the day of the One Night War."
Lance's eyes turned and immediately found the corresponding memory.
"Yes, a small accountant. He used to be the person in charge of the Abandoned Houses. He was quite talented and ambitious. For this, he killed his superior, that useless Quide …
"But I sent him to the capital. You know, Roda definitely does not want the person who killed his son to appear in front of him all the time —"
Morris interrupted him.
"Write a letter to him and look for the list of child beggars in the past."
Lance frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Morris exhaled and kicked the broken wall at the entrance of the alley, causing some stones to fall.
"Do you remember, Lance? When we first came to Lower City District, we suffered greatly in this maze of rotten streets. Anton would go astray once he walked more than fifty meters, and he would not be able to find his way back to Black Street."
Lance did not speak.
He knew that Morris had more to say.
Morris narrowed his eyes.
"Do you still remember who we first looked for as a guide in order to settle down in Lower City District as soon as possible?
"Child beggars."
Lance answered without hesitation, "We bribed the child beggars.
"They were the most inconspicuous, and they had been walking the streets since they were young. They were the most familiar with the roads here."
Morris' gaze was fixed on the wall.
"Yes," the plump man repeated Lance's words and thought carefully.
"They were the most inconspicuous, and they had been walking the streets since they were young.
They were the most familiar with this place. "
Lance seemed to have figured something out. He could not help but widen his eyes.
"So, I have a small guess."
Morris raised his head and looked at the extremely complicated streets in Lower City District. His expression was profound.
"I want to verify it."
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