Chapter 1002: Chapter 58: Down-and-Out Merchant_3
Ah Dai thought for a moment and said, "Yan Shi, last time we discussed that since the Elf Clan members were kidnapped by the thieves’ guild, they must have been sold to some rich nobles who could afford them. I think, since they are rich nobles, they wouldn’t be in some remote places. Although the Empire of Sunset City is vast, there shouldn’t be many cities where rich nobles live. We just need to start by searching these major cities first, and we should find something. As long as we can find the Elf Clan members, we will surely learn something from them, which will make our search easier. Don’t you think?"
Yan Shi stared at Ah Dai blankly for a moment before he realized and laughed, "Ah Dai, when did you become so smart? This is indeed a good plan!"
Ah Dai scratched his head and said somewhat awkwardly, "I wouldn’t say I am smart; I just suddenly had this idea and blurted it out. Brother, do you think it’s feasible?"
Yan Shi laughed heartily, "Of course, it’s feasible. This might be the best method right now. Come, let me see, which of the major cities is closest to us?" Saying that, he took out a map from his bosom, spread it on the ground, first located their own position, then started looking around. "Yeah, right here. We are in the Dark Province, and the capital of the Dark Province, Dark City, is the largest city here and it’s already very close. Let’s start from here. Then we’ll search every provincial capital in each province, and our final goal will be the capital of the Empire of Sunset City."
Ah Dai nodded and said, "Alright, then we’ll hurry up tomorrow and head straight for the Dark Province. Hopefully, we’ll make some discoveries at this first stop."
"Let go of me, let go of me. Let me die, just let me die. What’s the point of me living anymore," continuous cries came through. Ah Dai and Yan Shi looked up in surprise, only to see Yan Li running over from the woods, with what seemed like a person tucked under his arm, who was struggling fiercely and it appeared that the crying was coming from him.
Yan Li leapt up, landed next to Ah Dai and Yan Shi, and let go of the person he was holding, tossing him to the ground. It was a middle-aged man, whose clothes were torn in several places, his complexion pale, and he looked bedraggled. Thrown to the ground, he cried out in pain, scrambled up, and pointed at Yan Li’s nose, cursing, "You short gourd, who asked you to meddle in my affairs? Don’t I even have the right to die? Who are you to interfere, what are you?" He spoke in fluent Holy Church language, which all three of them understood.
His cursing evidently touched Yan Li’s raw nerve, and with a flash of black light, a battle axe was already placed on his neck. Yan Li said fiercely, "Who are you calling a short gourd?"
The middle-aged man huffed and said, "Of course, I’m talking about you. Go ahead and kill me, it’s better, I have been wanting to die anyway."
Ah Dai and Yan Shi looked at the middle-aged man in surprise. Yan Shi asked, "Ah Li, what’s going on? You went to gather firewood and brought back a person?"
Yan Li said angrily, "This guy is a mess. I just saw him trying to hang himself in the woods, and I kindly saved him, but he started cursing at me. I should have just let him die."
Ah Dai stood up, walked over to the middle-aged man, and moved Yan Li’s battle axe aside, saying softly, "Uncle, what troubles you so much that you want to die? Death is irreversible."
The middle-aged man glared at Ah Dai, "Nonsense, since I want to die, I obviously don’t want to come back to life. What meaning is there in my life! I have lost everything, absolutely everything." As he spoke, his emotions became agitated again. Ah Dai placed his hands on the middle-aged man’s shoulders and infused him with a stream of robust True Qi. The True Qi, brimming with vitality, nourished the man’s body, making his complexion rosier, and his emotions gradually calmed down, causing him to sit down on the ground, his gaze turning blank.
Ah Dai glanced at Yan Shi, squatted next to the middle-aged man, and asked, "Uncle, what exactly forced you to this dead end? Can you tell us? We will definitely try our best to help you."
The middle-aged man looked at Ah Dai and only then did he notice that he was dressed as a magician. A flicker of hope ignited in his eyes, and he murmured, "I used to be a wealthy merchant in Dark City. A year ago, I had many wives and concubines, and my wealth was boundless. But within this year, I have lost everything! What’s the point of living? I’m already over forty, there’s no way I can make a comeback." As he spoke, he disclosed his misfortune. Apparently, his name was Vatana. He used to run a business selling medicinal ingredients in the Dark Province. After more than a decade of effort, he had established a significant fortune. As he entered middle age, his ambition gradually waned, and he started to consolidate his achievements. He bought mansions and shops in Dark City, continuing his business in pharmaceuticals. Due to frequent brawls, the demand for medical supplies was high, and his business thrived. Even people from other provinces came to buy from him, gaining him a modest reputation over the years in Dark City. With wealth, he gradually deteriorated; women and gambling became his hobbies. Not only did he marry over ten concubines, but under the instigation of a few bad friends, he also started gambling. Gambling, once started, quickly becomes addictive. Initially, he could afford small bets as losing some money didn’t concern him much. But as his friends encouraged him, and his own addiction grew, his stakes increased exponentially. Soon, he became a lavish gambler. As money flowed away like water, in one year, he not only gambled away his fortune but also accumulated a pile of gambling debts*/}
