Pollution throughout the territory

Where they are currently located is on the outskirts of the city.

The vehicle continued to drive on the road, and the vast fog blocked the field of vision. The driver turned on the headlights and could only barely see the road clearly.

With the help of the faint light, Xia Ren found that the surroundings were full of tombs shrouded in fog.

These tombs vary in height and style. Some are just small mounds of earth, while others are large-scale tombs built with cement. The densely packed tombstones are placed in the wilderness, like strange-looking shrubs, exuding a strong sense of foreboding. breath.

As the vehicles drove steadily, the graves soon began to become sparse, and scattered buildings slowly appeared on both sides of the road.

These low-rise houses seemed to be buildings from the old era, dilapidated and dilapidated. The brick walls were covered with an unknown substance, like sticky dirt from sewers, constantly emitting a disgusting stench.

Some of the houses are made of just a few wooden boards, and they seem to be just temporary residences. However, those wooden boards have long been eroded by the humid mist and are full of holes. They are obviously old. Rather than being houses, they are actually more like being exposed to the elements. A decaying coffin in the wilderness.

From time to time, a few black shadows passed overhead, making strange chirping sounds and flapping wings, as if they were already staring at them.

The driver, already accustomed to this, remained unfazed and continued driving.

The buildings on both sides gradually became taller and cleaner, and the road became wider, enough to accommodate several cars driving simultaneously. It seemed that they had arrived in the main city.

The driver braked suddenly and stopped on the side of the road.

"We're here."

Niu Changshou turned around and gave a reminder, then got out of the car and stretched his body.

Xia Ren and others also got out of the car and looked around.

The driver did not go back immediately. Instead, he got off the car and walked into a small store nearby. He bought a bottle of something like a drink from it. Through the transparent glass bottle, he could see that it contained a rich dark red liquid. It was easy to Reminiscent of something.

The driver opened the bottle and drank it in one gulp, then returned to the car and started the car again and drove deeper into the city center.

"What did he buy?"

Xia Ren asked curiously.

Niu Changshou smiled mysteriously: "What do you think?"

"It can't be human blood, right?"

Niu Changshou snapped his fingers: "You guessed it right."

"I guess you must have a lot of questions. Let's find a place to live first, and I will explain to you slowly."

Niu Changshou's expression was relaxed. When he came here, he felt like he was back home. As he walked, he said, "Let's start with the existence of Arkham City."

He clarified his thoughts for a while: "Arkham City has existed since the Supreme Alliance Government was not established, but it was not called this name at that time. It has always been an ordinary city, but until a few decades There was a drastic change before this place became what it is now. Don’t rush to ask me what the drastic change was, because I don’t know either.”

Xia Ren just wanted to open his mouth, but he could only hold back after hearing the words.

Niu Changshou continued: "As you can see, there is no day here, only night. The low mountain we saw when we came here is actually a magic barrier that ordinary people cannot pass through. Only those who are polluted can enter and exit freely. .

The reason why Arkham still exists is actually the result of the tacit consent of many forces. For those alien factions and independent races walking in the dark, they need a fixed place to trade items and obtain intelligence. For the Foundation Rather than letting them hide completely in the dark and become a completely uncontrollable factor, it is better to have a fixed location where they can monitor and detect their actions, a lot of the foundation's intelligence and containment objects, like now. Some of the research materials of the Superman Association and the Superman Association were also obtained from Arkham City. For example, the containment object you need for this trip will be on display at the auction in the city center tomorrow. "

Xia Ren touched his chin and said: "This explanation is a bit far-fetched. As far as I know, the Foundation basically has a zero-tolerance attitude towards pollution. It is impossible to acquiesce in a city becoming a heretic in order to obtain some information, as you said. and a paradise for evil races.”

"No, no, no, my dear, your description is wrong."

Niu Changshou shook his head and said: "It is not an evil race, but an independent race. Your idea is wrong~"

Da Yuanjing mocked: "Who told you that all independent races are bad? Haven't you only seen Qiuqiu people?"

Qin Yun glanced at her displeasedly, and the latter immediately shrank her neck and said no more.

Niu Changshou then explained: "As this girl said, although independent races are often very different from humans, not all independent races are against humans, and some of them will even take the initiative to help humans. In fact, those who are truly There are not many evil guys in Arkham City. Most of the people living here are people who don't want to get involved in disputes. For example, they are polluted but still retain their rational aberrations, and they concentrate on studying magic and alchemy. Magic wizards, and independent races that are independent of the world, etc. The driver who drove us here was one of them. He must have been deformed and thirsted for blood, but he was unwilling to kill, so he could only buy human blood to satisfy his greed. The situation is ubiquitous in Arkham, so no need to make a fuss about it.

And although it is human blood, the channels are basically clean and transparent. The Superman Association will occasionally provide blood here in exchange for something.

Of course, there are also many bad guys and evil sects who have fled here. "

"The situation in Arkham City is very complicated. There are unique rules and order here, which are difficult to understand in the eyes of unfamiliar people. Moreover, the forces in the city are complicated. If we want to explain it in detail, I am afraid it will not take three days and three nights. It’s over, you just need to do what I say.”

Xia Ren nodded.

What Niu Changshou just talked about was knowledge that he had never been exposed to before, such as wizards and neutral races.

He realized that the depths of this world were a completely unfamiliar territory to him, so it was better to remain cautious.

Niu Changshou explained to them the important points to note: "In Arkham, as long as you don't actively provoke other people, you will be fine. Fighting and killing are completely prohibited here. Once discovered, the surrounding citizens will unite to attack." If you kill him, the best result is that he will be expelled and permanently blacklisted, and will never be able to enter the barrier again."

Xia Ren glanced at the surrounding buildings and said, "Then who maintains order? We can't rely entirely on the tacit understanding of the citizens, right?"

"Most of it really depends on the tacit understanding of the citizens, but for some situations that the citizens are unable to handle, or are unwilling to handle, you still have to rely on professionals. Do you remember the barrier I just told you? Who created it?"

Xia Ren refused to answer this sentence and asked directly: "Who is it?"

When Niu Changshou saw that he did not follow what he had imagined, he felt a little regretful and said: "You also know that person, the great magician Sine Grant of the Wizards Alliance, and the Wizards Alliance is the largest force in Arkham, and it is also the leader of the order. Maintainer.”

"I know that some of your investigators treat wizards with the same hatred as those evil pollutions, but it is undeniable that most wizards will not affect ordinary people's lives. For them, compared to doing bad things, Obviously, it is more tempting to study the hidden knowledge left in ancient manuscripts. It’s just that some wizards have mastered too many mysteries. Once they do bad things, the impact will be more serious than the apostles. However, you don’t need to do anything, the Wizards Alliance will handle it themselves. Those lunatics."

Niu Changshou suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "There is one little thing I almost forgot to tell you."

Xia Ren asked doubtfully: "What's the matter?"

Niu Changshou smiled sheepishly: "You are being rewarded."

"..." Xia Ren.

He remembered that when he went to the foundation headquarters for the first time, Yi Zhiyu told him that he was being rewarded with a bounty of up to one billion alliance coins.

Now that Qin Yun has become a super rich woman, one billion alliance coins does not seem to be a particularly high fortune. He thought that after such a long time, the reward has long been outdated, but he did not expect that there are still people who are persisting. Want to cause some trouble for yourself.

"Let's talk about such an important thing earlier next time!"

Xia Ren looked around. Fortunately, there were only a few people on the street and no one noticed him.

He turned his attention to Lu Yi, who was the only one among the group carrying luggage. In fact, it was luggage, which was a slightly larger women's shoulder bag. It contained several items of storage and Lu Yi's own toiletries and toiletries. Some other random stuff.

Regarding this kind of differential treatment, Da Yuanjing was naturally strongly opposed to it at first, but after all, it could not overcome Lu Yi's persistence.

"Do you have any other clothes?" Xia Ren asked.

He wanted to change his outfit to hide himself a little.

Lu Yi opened her satchel, dug around inside, then took out the green apron rather tangledly, and handed it to Xia Ren.

She regarded this apron as a treasure, and she would not bear to wear it at ordinary times. She would take it out and tidy it up when she had nothing to do. She was willing to give it to Xia Ren at this time, probably because she placed him in a more important position in her heart.

Xia Ren looked at the apron, hesitated, and didn't take it.

Niu Changshou patted him on the shoulder and said: "It's okay, those bounties have been taken away by your foundation's own people a long time ago. Those guys who are ready to take action will not easily think of fighting with you when they see that the foundation's attitude is so clear. Opposition, besides, your information is well protected. Others don’t even know your gender and name. As long as you don’t take out your thick and long whip, no one will guess your identity. "

"It's a tentacle."

Xia Ren corrected, but did not deny that it was thick and long.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" Niu Changshou continued: "I don't know if you have noticed that from the beginning to the end, whether it is the Foundation or the Superman Association, the people who have been in contact with you have always been those few people. This is actually to protect you."

Xia Ren touched his chin, thinking that no matter where he went, the only people he had a relationship with were Niu Changshou, Yi Zhiyu, and Jiufeng.

Insiders are everywhere.

"We're here."

Niu Changshou stopped on the street.

Next to it is a three-story building with a simple accommodation sign hanging on it. If you don't pay close attention, you can't find it at all.

The exterior of the hotel looks very old. The gray-red paint on the walls that have been eroded by moisture is peeling off, like severely burned skin, which is mottled.

The entrance on the first floor is narrow, with only a rusty and heavy security door. The door is covered with suspicious stains and has several shocking scars, as if it had been attacked by some terrible beast.

The windows on the second and third floors were blocked by thick curtains, making it difficult to see clearly what was going on inside the rooms. There was only a faint dim light coming from two rooms. In one of the rooms, a suspicious shadow could be vaguely seen wandering behind the curtains. .

There was a strange sound coming from the building. It sounded like an old man's cough before he died, but it was not exactly the same. In short, it gave people an uneasy feeling everywhere.

Niu Changshou didn't care. As the security door opened with a harsh metal friction sound, he took the lead and walked in.

Xia Ren hesitated for a moment, then took Qin Yun's hand and followed him in.

Unexpectedly, the environment inside is completely different from what was expected. It is extremely neat and clean. Although the cleanliness is not much different from that of a normal hotel outside, this is Arkham after all. It is still a bit strange to be so clean. .

Behind the door is a solid wood counter. The counter is almost spotless. There is only an open bottle of black ink with a slender quill inserted in the mouth of the ink bottle. In addition, there is a hemp paper account book bound by a thick rope. , there will be no other debris.

The ancient quills and rough account books are easily reminiscent of scenes from the old century. No matter how the years outside pass, the ancient traditions seem to be preserved here.

Although the overhead lighting is soft, it is a bit too dim and will make your eyes sore after looking at it for a long time.

Xia Ren was surprised to find that the light bulb did not seem to be driven by electricity. The glowing "wick" inside floated up and down like a hanging spider. He felt subtle energy fluctuations from inside, which was more like... magic.

Behind the solid wood counter is a large vertical cabinet similar to a bookshelf. There are several ancient books in the spaced grids, and the rest are some weird bottles and jars. I don’t know what their specific function is.

The wooden floor has been cleaned until it is smooth and shiny. The surface is covered with a layer of wax, which prevents dust from falling into the gaps and makes it easy to clean. However, this layer of wax does not make people feel slippery at all, and it will feel slippery when you step on it. There is a solid feeling of stepping on soft earth.

As if to cover up other smells, the aroma in the store is very strong, and it will be a bit annoying after smelling it for a long time.

"Where's the boss?"

Lu Yi glanced around and saw that there wasn't even a chair behind the counter, and no one was there.

According to the time outside, it should be around two or three in the afternoon.

"I'm coming."

A high-pitched sound came from behind the counter, like the squawk of some small rodent.

Lu Yi stretched out his head and looked around, but couldn't find the source of the sound.

Just as she was wondering, a terrifying creature that looked like a mouse and was slightly larger than a normal mouse climbed up with its short claws.

Lu Yi almost couldn't help but scream, but fortunately, the wishing mirror took over her body in time, so she didn't make a fool of herself.

Seeing the other party's appearance, Xia Ren instantly felt his heart skip a beat.

Appearing on the counter was a creature that looked like a mouse. His body was covered with short gray hairs, and his tail was thin and long, dragging behind him like an earthworm. It seemed that he would not actively sway. His head was a A miniature version of a human face with complete facial features, but the teeth are yellowed and extremely sharp, and the ears also have the characteristics of a mouse, which are small and upright.

If you look closely, you can see that his claws are exactly like a miniature version of a human hand, and the gripping method is the same as a human hand.

He is like one of those crazy artists who imitates the most twisted and deformed depraved creatures pieced together by humans.

Niu Changshou put his hand next to Xia Ren's ear and whispered: "This is a human-faced mouse, a product of magic. He is the owner of the hotel and has no ill intentions towards humans."

Xia Ren reluctantly nodded and accepted the explanation.

Seeing their expressions, the hotel owner smiled a chilling smile on his ugly face and said in a high-pitched voice: "Is this your first time here?"

He focused on Lu Yi: "Such a delicious meat supplement, so be careful here."

Lu Yi was startled and couldn't help but move her steps and huddled behind Xia Ren, not daring to look in the direction of the counter.

Xia Ren was more or less adapted at this time and thanked him: "Thank you, boss, for reminding me."

Although the other party looked a little scary, the words he just said were indeed full of kindness.

Niu Changshou put his arms on the counter and said, "Give us two twin rooms."

The boss rubbed his hands and showed his fangs: "Are you paying coins or..."

"coin."

Niu Changshou handed him a wad of cash. Xia Ren glanced at it. They were all in one thousand denominations. It was roughly estimated that there were as many as one hundred thousand.

That is equivalent to 50,000 yuan per night for a room. You can live in the most luxurious presidential suite outside, but here it is only the price of an ordinary double bed room.

"Is there any other way to pay?"

Qin Yun asked from the side.

She couldn't count the amount of money in her account, but when she arrived in Arkham, her mobile phone signal disappeared, and she couldn't pay online. There didn't seem to be a credit card machine here, so all they had was what was in Lu Yi's bag. Tens of thousands in cash.

"certainly."

The boss's frightening eyes swept over everyone one by one, and said sullenly: "Your blood, bones, and hair can all be paid, as well as the things in the little girl's bag. If you are willing to take them out, what do you think?" You can live here for a month.”

He can actually feel the existence of the contained object?

Xia Ren was a little surprised.

Niu Changshou smiled and said to the boss: "There are not many people here who can make their decisions."

The boss also smiled and nodded, agreeing with this.

He took out the quill from the ink bottle and wrote down the amount in the ledger. His shrunken human hands could just hold the slender quill. It would be more troublesome to replace it with a thicker one.

After recording the account, he turned around and climbed off the counter, got into the drawer, found two keys and handed them to Niu Changshou: "The room is on the third floor."

"Let's go."

Niu Changshou took the key and glanced at the numbers above, then went upstairs with Xia Ren and the others.